Ford calls for ouster, Poilievre decries Liberal response to Bernardo prison transfer
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is calling on the Liberals to keep "multiple murderers" in maximum-security prison as fallout continues over the transfer of convicted killer Paul Bernardo to a medium-security institution in Quebec.
And Ontario Premier Doug Ford is looking for the ouster of the federal corrections commissioner after the move, which was made public last week.
Anne Kelly, commissioner of the Correctional Service of Canada, announced the transfer was under review Monday after Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino said he was as shocked Canadians were by the decision.
Bernardo is serving a life sentence for the kidnapping, torture and murders of 15-year-old Kristen French in 1991 and 14-year-old Leslie Mahaffy in 1992. He was also convicted of manslaughter in the 1990 death of Tammy Homolka, the 15-year-old sister of his then-wife, Karla Homolka.
Homolka pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the crimes committed against French and Mahaffy, and was released in 2005 after serving a 12-year sentence. Bernardo also admitted to sexually assaulting 14 other women.
Speaking from the provincial legislature, Ford said Canadians have lost confidence in Kelly's decision-making and asked that she "step aside, step down or be fired."
"Sorry for the language, but he's nothing but a scumbag," Ford said of Bernardo, whose transfer has also garnered widespread backlash from police associations in Ontario.
"This S.O.B. needs to be in jail 23 hours a day in a maximum security (facility)."
In a statement late Tuesday, Correctional Service of Canada spokesman Kevin Antonucci said Kelly "has devoted her career to corrections and has worked tirelessly to uphold the safety of our communities."
"She has made meaningful progress on her mandate commitments and remains committed to building on this essential work."
He added that Bernardo's transfer poses no risk to public safety.
Mendicino has said he is unable to reverse the transfer decision because the federal correctional service operates as an independent institution.
Poilievre said Tuesday he rejects that explanation and demanded Trudeau step in.
"I'm calling on the prime minister to direct his public safety minister to say that all mass murderers should have to serve their entire sentences in maximum security prisons," Poilievre told reporters.
"This is a no-brainer and the prime minister can do it. He's got to stop passing the buck."
Poilievre's office has suggested that such power exists in the form of directives from ministers, which are typically used to address broad policy issues.
Mendicino said Tuesday he expects the review into Bernardo's transfer will only take a couple of weeks "at the most," and suggested any discussion around policy changes must wait until its conclusion.
"Look, if there are issues with regards to policies, with regards to the principles, even with regards to the legislation -- I'm going to leave all of those options on the table," he said.
"We'll see where we are at in a couple of weeks' time and after that, if we need to revisit the legislation or any of their policies or directions, then we'll do that."
The correctional service said it understands Bernardo's transfer comes as a shock to some and acknowledged in a statement Monday that it did not intend to cause harm to his victims.
It has said decisions around the security classification of offenders must adhere with the law and depend on factors including their risk to public safety, their threat of escaping and psychological assessments.
The reason Bernardo was moved has not been divulged, but the prison he was transferred to is known for housing violent sex offenders and specializes in treating people convicted of sexual offences.
On Tuesday, Mendicino said "we do have access to those reasons" for Bernardo's transfer, but stressed that because of privacy provisions, it is up to the federal correctional service to decide whether it can release those reasons publicly.
"I do believe, given the fact that this matter is now public, that Canadians are entitled to an explanation," he said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 6, 2023.
-- With files from Allison Jones.
IN DEPTH
Former prime minister Brian Mulroney dies at 84
Former Canadian prime minister and Conservative stalwart Brian Mulroney has died at age 84. Over his impressive career, the passionate and ambitious politician, businessman, husband, father, and grandfather left an unmistakable mark on the country.
Who is supporting, opposing new online harms bill?
Now that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's sweeping online harms legislation is before Parliament, allowing key stakeholders, major platforms, and Canadians with direct personal experience with abuse to dig in and see what's being proposed, reaction is streaming in. CTVNews.ca has rounded up reaction, and here's how Bill C-63 is going over.
As Poilievre sides with Smith on trans restrictions, former Conservative candidate says he's 'playing with fire'
Siding with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith on her proposed restrictions on transgender youth, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre confirmed Wednesday that he is against trans and non-binary minors using puberty blockers.
The first public hearings on foreign interference in Canada have begun. What you need to know
The public hearings portion of the federal inquiry into foreign interference in Canadian elections and democratic institutions got underway this week. Heading into this process, here's what you need to know.
TREND LINE What Nanos' tracking tells us about Canadians' mood, party preference heading into 2024
Heading into a new year, Canadians aren't feeling overly optimistic about the direction the country is heading, with the number of voters indicating negative views about the federal government's performance at the highest in a decade, national tracking from Nanos Research shows.
Opinion
opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike
When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.
opinion Don Martin: Pierre Poilievre's road to apparent victory will soon start to get rougher
Pierre Poilievre and his Conservatives appear to be on cruise control to a rendezvous with the leader's prime ministerial ambition, but in his latest column for CTVNews.ca, Don Martin questions whether the Conservative leader may be peaking too soon.
opinion Don Martin: The Trudeau lessons from Brian Mulroney's legacy start with walking away
Justin Trudeau should pay very close attention to the legacy treatment afforded former prime minister Brian Mulroney, who died on Thursday at age 84, writes columnist Don Martin.
opinion Don Martin: ArriveCan debacle may be even worse than we know from auditor's report
It's been 22 years since a former auditor general blasted the Chretien government after it 'broke just about every rule in the book' in handing out private sector contracts in the sponsorship scandal. In his column for CTVNews.ca, Don Martin says the book has been broken anew with everything that went on behind the scenes of the 'dreaded' ArriveCan app.
opinion Don Martin: Despite his horrible year, Trudeau's determined to roll the dice again
In his column for CTVNews.ca, political commentator Don Martin says you can't help but admire Justin Trudeau's defiance and audacity of hope despite his 'horrible' 2023, as it appears Trudeau is insisting on leading the Liberals into the next federal election.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
A newspaper says video of Prince William and Kate should halt royal rumour mill. That's a tall order
Prince William and his wife Catherine have been filmed at a farm shop near their Windsor home, The Sun newspaper reported -- the first footage of Kate since she had abdominal surgery for an unspecified condition two months ago.
'You ask for your money, they disappear': Ontario man loses $17K to AI crypto scam
A Toronto man is spreading the word of a cryptocurrency scam that lures victims using AI-generated news sites after he lost $17,000 in investments.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
High thoughts: The habits of Canadian cannabis users are revealed in a new StatCan report
Statistics Canada has conducted a series of surveys to measure the impacts of legalized cannabis since the Cannabis Act took effect in 2018. The latest one, the 2023 National Cannabis Survey, sheds light on users' preferences and habits last year.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Trump says Jews who vote for Democrats 'hate Israel' and their religion
Former U.S. president Donald Trump on Monday charged that Jews who vote for Democrats 'hate Israel' and hate 'their religion,' igniting a firestorm of criticism from the White House and Jewish leaders.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Freddie Mercury's home is on the market for first time since 1980 minus his 'exquisite clutter'
Freddie Mercury's sanctuary in London, where he lived the last decade of his life, is on sale for the first time in nearly half a century -- minus his "exquisite clutter."
'The lost season': Winter comes to a close as Canada's warmest on record
The warmest winter on record could have far-reaching effects on everything from wildfire season to erosion, climatologists say, while offering a preview of what the season could resemble in the not-so-distant future unless steps are taken to cut greenhouse gas emissions.