West Nova MP Chris d’Entremont is pleased that there will now be a public inquiry into the mass shooting in Portapique.
The province’s lone opposition MP feels the change of heart is due to the public outcry.
“I think this was the public pressure that they would have been receiving over the last couple of days. The outcry that was coming from Nova Scotians, the community in and around Portapique, but right across Canada. I mean, I was getting phone calls and emails from folks right across Canada, and I’m sure that my Liberal colleagues were getting it, as well.”
He wants to know why they just didn’t announce one from the start.
“Why wasn’t this done when they made the announcement last week? They could have been here…this is what the community was asking for, this is what Nova Scotians were asking for. It would have saved everybody a lot of heartache and a lot of concern over the last few days had they just simply provided the inquiry as they were supposed to.”
d’Entremont, who has been calling for a public inquiry for a couple of months, says there are a few very important reasons a public inquiry was needed.
“Transparency is an important part, where people get to see what’s going on, plus it was the issue of being able to compel people to appear before it but it also takes it out of the hands of the ministers. Justice MacDonald and the other two members will be able to work independent of government to get the information they need.”
He says they are now awaiting the full terms of reference will be for the inquiry.
