Poilievre Claims RCMP Covered Up Trudeau Scandals, Sparks Criticism

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has accused the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) of covering up what he calls scandals involving former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, claiming they would have otherwise led to criminal charges.

In a recent interview with YouTube channel Northern Perspective, Poilievre described the leadership of the RCMP as “despicable” and stated that many Trudeau-era scandals “should have involved jail time.”

Specifically, Poilievre alleged that Trudeau “probably” violated the criminal code during the SNC-Lavalin affair. He also criticized Trudeau for accepting a “free vacation from someone with whom he had government business,” referring to the 2016 Aga Khan trip.

“These would normally have led to criminal charges, but of course, the RCMP covered it all up,” Poilievre said in the interview.

Poilievre’s comments come after the Conservatives previously argued in 2023 that the Liberals, NDP, and Bloc censored the RCMP by shutting down the RCMP commissioner’s testimony on the SNC-Lavalin scandal during a parliamentary committee meeting.

RCMP Responds

Speaking to reporters at a news conference in Toronto on Thursday, RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme addressed Poilievre’s remarks. “The SNC-Lavalin affair was discussed quite a lot under the previous government, and there was no interference. I don’t take any orders from any political individual,” Duheme said.

Duheme also invited Poilievre to meet with the RCMP to discuss his concerns about the organization’s management.

Public Safety Minister Criticizes Comments

Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree condemned Poilievre’s statements in an email statement, calling them “deeply irresponsible” and warning that such remarks risk undermining public trust in a national institution.

He emphasized that Canadians can have full confidence in the RCMP and its independence from political influence. “The RCMP operates free from direction by elected officials, regardless of who is in government,” Anandasangaree said. “Suggesting that Canada’s national police force engages in political cover-ups without evidence is not leadership — it is an attack on the impartiality of law enforcement in our country. Political leaders should respect the work of the RCMP rather than attempt to erode public confidence in the dedicated officers who serve and protect Canadians every day from coast to coast to coast.”