B.C. Conservative MLA questioned by RCMP about leaked documents

B.C. Conservative MLA Elenore Sturko, a former Mountie, didn't expect to be, herself, questioned by the RCMP.

"It is intimidating. Even as a former police officer, when you hear an anti-corruption unit wants to talk to you, it doesn't feel good," said Sturko, the Opposition's public safety critic. 

The topic in question: leaked Ministry of Health slides released publicly by Sturko in February. 

The slides revealed that a significant portion of prescribed opioids were not ending up in the hands of the intended recipients but were instead being trafficked nationally and internationally.

Leaked document shows B.C. investigating trafficking of prescription opioids

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Leaked Ministry of Health documents released by the B.C. Conservatives show that government and law enforcement officials are aware that prescription opioids are being trafficked provincially, nationally and internationally. Katie DeRosa reports.

It also revealed that police were aware of some bad-actor pharmacies allegedly offering kickbacks to clients who got their safer supply prescriptions filled there. The slides were shown to law enforcement agencies across B.C.

Shortly afterwards, B.C. Health Minister Josie Osborne announced a significant rollback of the safer supply program.

Patients must now consume their prescription opioids in front of a pharmacist to prevent diversion. 

Sturko saw that as a victory and a sign that the leaked slides forced the NDP government to address the problems with the program. 

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B.C. Health Minister Josie Osborne announced that people who rely on prescription opioids must now take those safer supply drugs under the supervision of a pharmacist. It comes after revelations the drugs were being diverted into the hands of organized criminals. As Katie DeRosa reports, critics say the move is long overdue.

Five days after Sturko went public with the leaked slides, B.C.'s director of police services, Glen Lewis, wrote a letter to the head of the B.C. RCMP, requesting an "investigation into the unauthorized disclosure of the slides … which included sensitive information." 

Sturko says she was interviewed by the RCMP on April 30. 

She says the fact that the whistleblower's actions are being probed by the RCMP will have a chilling effect on people who want to bring forward important information. 

"I think that British Columbians should be very concerned by actions that would silence people from coming forward to their MLA," Sturko said. 

Lewis's letter to the RCMP was released Wednesday by the premier's office, to back up Premier David Eby's statements that he didn't know about the investigation. 

"The independent decision was made by the director of police services to request an RCMP investigation," Eby told reporters at an unrelated news conference. 

Eby says he supports the rights of whistleblowers to bring forward information, and Sturko did nothing wrong by publicizing that. 

"She was doing her job. I understand why she would be unhappy to get a call from police when all she was doing was exactly what British Columbians hired her to do," Eby said. 

Minister of Public Safety Garry Begg, also a former Mountie, says he supports Lewis's decision to ask for the police probe, but notes he was not involved in that decision. 

"He did not ask me, nor did I tell him to do this," Begg told reporters. 

B.C. RCMP spokesperson Sgt. Vanessa Munn says in a statement that an "investigation was launched under the B.C. Police Act, Section 44,  to look at allegations that third-party information was released without authority that could compromise an active ongoing investigation."

Munn says investigators spoke with a number of individuals during the investigation to "determine the source of the information shared and if there was a breach of a law enforcement officer's responsibilities."

Munn made clear that Sturko "is not now, nor ever was, under investigation."

B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad accused the NDP government of "actively trying to put a chill on anyone who speaks against them."

Eby fell short of ordering the whistleblower investigation to be dropped, saying he has no control over police investigations.

But Eby says a higher priority for the RCMP is continuing its probe into the bad-actor pharmacies that were allegedly offering kickbacks.