The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) was informed in March that Paul Bernardo might be moved from a maximum-security prison to a medium-security facility.. Marco MendicinoMarco Mendicino .PMO spokesperson Alison Murphy said the Privy Council Office told a staff member that the notorious serial killer and rapist could be transferred to a medium-security prison..Murphy then told the Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino's office about it..“That was the right step to take given the public safety minister's responsibility for the Correctional Service of Canada,” Murphy said in a news release..Murphy stated that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was told about Bernardo’s transfer on May 29. .Mendicino's office clarified that the minister received a briefing on May 30, the day after it occurred. The Globe and Mail initially reported this information..The families of Bernardo's victims are upset with Correctional Service Canada's (CSC) decision to relocate him to a medium-security prison in La Macaza, Quebec. .They also said they were not given enough notice about the transfer by CSC..Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre demands that Mendicino resigns as the public safety minister following a CBC report that his office was informed of a potential transfer months before it happened..Poilievre also criticized Trudeau for failing to take action after his office found out about the transfer..“Instead of acting, the prime minister did nothing and left it in the hands of his most useless minister. This is a failure of leadership at the very top,” said Poilievre in a news release..Mendicino rejected Poilievre's demands for his resignation. .During question period in the House of Commons on Wednesday, Mendicino said he intends to leverage his authority as the minister to bring about changes in how CSC communicates its decisions about the transferring of high-profile prisoners..Mendicino stressed the need to “ensure victims’ rights” when reclassifying prisoners in the future..The new directive aims to address a “policy gap” that has been criticized by victims’ advocates, as it often leaves victims' families uninformed about the perpetrator's whereabouts..The PMO defended their actions and said that Bernardo, who was convicted in 1995, was known to younger staffers, and there was no breakdown in communication. .They also mentioned that it is not always possible for the minister to be informed of every single development..“There's a lot of information flow every day within our agencies and we take decisions on when to best brief the minister,” said the PMO..Mendicino announced plans to issue a “ministerial directive” that will mandate CSC to inform the minister and victims' families before high-profile transfers, closing the current “policy gap” where such notification is only required for transfer to minimum security facilities.
