The federal government has quietly released its report into the security breach that occurred when former foreign minister Maxime Bernier left classified NATO documents at his ex-girlfriend's home.
The internal review says that Bernier's carelessness hurt Canada's reputation within NATO circles and was "injurious" to national interest.
Bernier's relationship with Julie Couillard came under intense scrutiny after it became known that she had intimate links to criminal biker gangs and mobsters in her past.
Bernier resigned from his post over the missing documents but said he didn't remember leaving them behind when he left his ex-girlfriend's home the morning of April 5.
But the report, conducted by the Department of Foreign Affairs, appears to put most of the blame on Couillard, CTV's Ottawa Bureau Chief Robert Fife said on 麻豆影视net Friday.
The report says that Couillard had two opportunities to tell Bernier about the documents left at her home, but did not.
The report also concluded:
- Bernier took NATO briefing documents into Couillard's home but left without them.
- Due to lack of evidence to refute Bernier's version of events, he did not remove the materials from his unlocked briefcase.
- Couillard "may have put herself in potential jeopardy of having contravened a provision of the Security of Information Act."
Investigators did not interview Couillard in the report.
The report does not say what the secret documents contained but "that their disclosure would not have caused significant injury to the national interest."
The report makes several recommendations to beef up ministerial security of secret documents.
In a statement, Foreign Affairs Minister David Emerson said he accepts the recommendations.
Bernier, Couillard meet
The report's appendix notes that Ian Brodie, the prime minister's former chief of staff, called Bernier on April 20 to inform him about rumours about Couillard's mob-related past. Bernier said he was unaware on any links and offered to call Couillard, but Brodie told him not to.
But on April 22, Bernier runs into Couillard at a Quebec fundraiser, where they shared a cocktail. Bernier informs Couillard of the rumours he has heard, but she informs him that they are unfounded, the report says.
After the Globe and Mail reported on Couillard's ties to bikers on May 8, Bernier says that she called him, upset and crying.
Bernier says in the report that he recalled her saying:
- "You destroyed my life!"
- "The journalists are here!"
- "Why didn't you tell me?"
On May 25, Bernier's chief of staff was informed about the missing documents from Couillard's lawyers. The documents were returned that day, along with a handwritten note from Couillard, the report says.
The next day, Couillard was interviewed on television and revealed the missing document bombshell to the public. Bernier resigned the same day.
'A whitewash'
NDP MP Paul Dewar called the report a "gross whitewash" on 麻豆影视net Friday.
Liberal public safety critic Ujjal Dosanjh called for a full public inquiry and said on 麻豆影视net that both Couillard and Bernier needed to be subpoenaed into testifying.
Both opposition members noted that the government released the report the night before a long weekend.
The report was dated July 16.
