Senator Boisvenu: Senator Gold, I have to say that I no longer have any confidence in the minister, especially when it comes to his dealings with victims of crime. In recent months, I asked Minister Mendicino about his commitment to respecting the Canadian Victims Bill of Rights as it pertains to the families of the victims of the massacre in Portapique, Nova Scotia.

I met with those families and the Savoie family from New Brunswick, whose only daughter was killed. All I got from the minister were empty words. Worse still, he did not respond to any of the letters that I sent him. Minister Mendicino is incapable of working with victims of crime and has not shown any sympathy for or interest in the victims and their families. Why is he still the minister?

Hon. Donald Neil Plett (Leader of the Opposition): Senator Gold, yesterday, we learned that the Minister of Public Safety, Marco Mendicino, was not only pretending when he claimed that the transfer of serial killer Paul Bernardo to a medium-security prison was “shocking and incomprehensible,” he now admits he knew about the transfer three days before it was public. His staff knew about it for three months, yet claimed they never told him. Correctional Service Canada also say they sent his office communications products in advance.

Leader, this is not the first time Minister Mendicino has bent the truth when it suited him.

You take great exception when we call a spade a spade and come out in the Senate and say what not telling the truth actually is. Then there are points of order raised when we say what not telling the truth actually is.

This isn’t the first time Mr. Mendicino has used ignorance as a shield, but it might very well be the worst. Leader, why is Marco Mendicino still a minister of the Crown? When will the Prime Minister fire him?

Hon. Leo Housakos: Government leader, the government’s answer to my colleagues Senator Plett’s and Senator Boisvenu’s question regarding the competence of Minister Mendicino is shameful. Government leader, this is the truth of the matter: The problem isn’t that Minister Mendicino didn’t announce that Paul Bernardo was being transferred — the problem is that he played dumb once it was made public, and he acted like it was the first time he had ever heard about it. That’s the problem with Minister Mendicino.

It seems to be the default setting of Prime Minister Trudeau and Minister Mendicino to play dumb every time they get called out — just as the minister was called out many weeks ago regarding his statement that all illegal police stations in Canada had been shut down, and then a few days later, we find out there are a couple of police stations still operating in our own hometown. The minister played dumb again, and, worse than that, he blamed the RCMP.

My question is very simple, government leader: Is Minister Mendicino playing dumb, or is it possible that he’s genuinely this incompetent?