MCC Day 74 - Final Submissions From L. Banfield, Women's Groups, Truro Police, and Firearms Groups
The second last day of proceedings from the Mass Casualty Commission featured closing submissions and recommendations from Lisa Banfield's lawyer Jessica Zita, as well as those from LEAF/Avalon Sexual Assault Centre, Feminists Against Femicide, the RCMP Veterans Association of NS, the Truro Police, as well as firearms advocacy and opposition groups. Ms. Zita spoke about how Ms. Banfield (who, it appeared, was not present) was revictimized by the deceptive manner in which she was treated by the RCMP. She urged the MCC to accept what Ms. Banfield has claimed, and to agree that Ms. Banfield bore no responsibility for anything that her spouse did (despite, she did not add, her knowledge of him having a replica police car, illegal guns, and deteriorating mental health). Erin Breen rightly identified cross-border smuggling as a central issue, and noted how Wortman obtained a Nexus pass despite having a firearms complaint on the national police database at the time he applied for it. Neither Brian Carter for the RCMP Veterans nor Charles Thompson for the Truro Police explicitly called for the removal of the RCMP from NS, but that conclusion flowed naturally from both presentations. The Truro Police are hopeful that new RCMP leadership in NS is reason for optimism. The MCC will be back (weather depending) tomorrow for the final submissions by the BC Civil Liberties Association, the NS Dept. of Justice, National Police Federation, and the Federal Dept. of Justice.
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