MCC Day 75 - Final Submissions and Commissioners Closing Remarks

There were four presentations today, the final day of proceedings in the Mass Casualty Commission, followed by closing remarks from the three Commissioners. Ben Perryman from the BC Civil Liberties Association gave a clear and insightful closing, identifying the failures of policing, the hostile stance towards the inquiry taken by the RCMP, and the lack of oversight currently available for citizens when it comes to policing in NS. The NS Department of Justice made a very brief presentation, consistent with their near total absence from the MCC. They made no real recommendations, and spent most of their presentation summarizing the process and themes of the MCC without saying anything substantive about them. The National Police Federation spoke about the courage of the officers who responded to the initial call, and the difficulties they have had since the events in the face of public criticism. The Federal DOJ lawyer was emotional about some aspects of the events, but spent much of her presentation stressing how unprecedented this all was, and how the RCMP should be cut some slack. The Commissioners vapid final remarks gave no hint as to what they might be considering including in their recommendations. They simply listed the titles of the reports that were filed, thanked everyone, and urged the public to help implement whatever recommendations may emerge in their report.