PORT HAWKESBURY, N.S. — Veterans Affairs Canada initially refused to disclose to an inquiry its internal review of how it handled the tragic case of an Afghanistan war veteran who fatally shot three family members and himself in 2017.
The provincial inquiry investigating Lionel Desmond's case, which resumed Tuesday, was told last week by federal lawyers the review was beyond the inquiry's scope — an assertion that raised questions about the inquiry's ability to determine what happened and how to prevent similar tragedies.
In an internal email dated April 14, the lawyers said the department appreciated the review "could be of some assistance to the inquiry," but they argued "both the review and results are beyond the terms of reference and will not be provided."