N.L. justice minister now non-committal on police oversight board, after previous strong support
CBC
Newfoundland and Labrador's justice minister is walking back her past urgent calls for an independent civilian-led oversight board for the police — at least for the time being.
"At this point, I think it's premature to say I'm making any firm commitments on anything because we're still analyzing this," Justice Minister Helen Conway Ottenheimer said in a recent interview with CBC News.
"It's going to be a very important process."
The minister's comments are a marked departure from when she was in Opposition, and hammered the governing Liberals to create an independent board immediately.
"Establishing a civilian oversight board is not a complicated task," Conway Ottenheimer wrote in a press release in June 2025.
"It’s time for the Liberal government to establish a civilian oversight body immediately.”
Now, Conway Ottenheimer isn't so in favour of such an expeditious timeline, pointing to the importance of meeting with stakeholders.
"We need to have a police force that is transparent, that's accountable, and the creation of a comprehensive civilian oversight system would really improve policing in our province, in my view," Conway Ottenheimer told CBC News.
A year ago, the governing Liberals passed the Law Enforcement Oversight Commission Act. However, that does not include the creation of an independent board, which would govern police.
Conway Ottenheimer said the legislation is "a start," but considers it narrow in focus. She said she wants to have a police discipline oversight system that is "more comprehensive" and "more accountable."
Conway Ottenheimer said that may include introducing a new police act.
"We may also be looking at other pieces that will ensure that we have the best civilian oversight framework in our policing in the country," she said.
Conway Ottenheimer said in order to make "those kinds of progressive changes it's going to take some time."
In August 2023, former RNC chief Joe Boland spoke as a guest panelist at the Canadian Association of Police Governance's annual conference in St. John's, where he pushed for the creation of a police oversight board.
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