RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson arrives at a Senate national security committee hearing witnesses on Bill C-51, the Anti-terrorism Act, in Ottawa, Monday May 25, 2015.Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press
The RCMP will release the missing 18 seconds of the video that was made by Ottawa shooter Michael Zehaf-Bibeau, unveiling the footage that had been initially withheld from the public to protect the investigation into the Oct. 22 terrorist attack.
RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson's announcement came as the government made a final push to promote its anti-terrorism legislation, which is winding its way through the final stages of the parliamentary process.
The government has invoked the shooting to justify the need for the new anti-terrorism powers in Bill C-51, and the release of the additional video footage will bring further attention to Mr. Zehaf-Bibeau's intentions.
Commissioner Paulson released about one minute of the video earlier this year, stating the gunman would have been prosecuted under current laws for terrorism-related offences had he survived his attack on Parliament.
Bill C-51 would beef up the powers of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, criminalize the promotion of terrorism and provide the RCMP with new powers of preventative arrest. The bill also eases the transfer of information between some federal agencies and criminalizes the promotion of a terrorist attack.
But critics charge it goes too far and risks ensnaring environmentalists and natives in the fight against terrorism.
The legislation passed its final vote in the House of Commons this month with the support of Conservative and Liberal members of Parliament. The New Democrats and Greens opposed the bill. The bill is now expected to pass the Conservative-dominated Senate and receive royal assent before legislators break for the summer in June. After that, Parliament is not likely to resume before a federal election that is scheduled for Oct. 19.
Commissioner Paulson added the RCMP is also close to releasing a report into the police reaction to the attack, which was conducted by the Ontario Provincial Police.
"I can say that we are on the verge of releasing our reports that the OPP has done on our performance outside of the House and our engagement inside," Commissioner Paulson said in front of a Senate committee on Monday.
He said the OPP report will be released this week or next week, while the video footage will come out "within a couple of weeks."
Mr. Zehaf-Bibeau recorded his final thoughts in his car shortly before he killed Corporal Nathan Cirillo at the War Memorial and then stormed Parliament's Centre Block armed with a rifle and a knife. He was gunned down by guards and police in the Hall of Honour, a short distance from MPs, ministers and the Prime Minister.
The RCMP recovered the cellphone that was used to create the one-minute video, and released the full footage last March, minus 18 seconds to protect the continuing investigation.
"To those who are involved and listen to this movie, this is in retaliation for Afghanistan and because [Prime Minister Stephen] Harper wants to send his troops to Iraq," Mr. Zehaf-Bibeau said shortly before launching the attack of Oct. 22. "So we are retaliating, the mujahideen of this world."
He was clearly aware his actions were about to spread fear across Canada and around the world. "So, just aiming to hit some soldiers just to show that you're not even safe in your own land," he said.
Public Safety Minister Steven Blaney issued a statement after the video's release announcement to push for the adoption of Bill C-51, saying his government wanted "to ensure police and our national security agencies have the tools they need to keep Canadians safe."