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 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 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. 

"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.