Eby says

Prime Minister David Eb has rejected allegations that his government pursued a whistleblower while indicating that more efforts to investigate problems with opioid prescriptions that you have highlighted should be raised as the source of the leaks.

According to Eby, BCS acted independently for police services and the government cannot affect its application to investigate the leaked document, in which some pharmacies are supposed to distract prescription opioids on the illegal market.

The investigation had triggered allegations by the conservative leader John Rustad in the legislature that the government began an investigation into the leak of February “instead of thanking the whistleblower”.

The critic of Rustad's public security, Elenore Sturko, had revealed the document that stated that the police and the College of pharmacists were investigating allegations that more than 60 pharmacies were derived from more than 60 pharmacies.

RCMP spokeswoman SGT. Vanessa Munn said on Wednesday that the police could not enter into detail, but confirmed that a BC Police Act probe was started in accordance with the special examinations of the law.

Sturko was interviewed by the police, but Munn said in a statement that a statement was made in a potential violation of the responsibility of a police officer, and Sturko is not yet.

“The document was part of a number of documents in connection with an extensive criminal and administrative examination of pharmacies in the province. There is no rejection,” said Eby in the house on Wednesday.

“We want to get to the bottom. That is a priority. The police should spend their time and efforts there.”

The Prime Minister said that he was “extremely hesitant to weigh up where the police set up their resources”.

“I really hope that there are more efforts to examine these pharmacies instead of doing anything that has done with (Sturko) and what she did in this house,” he said.

Eby said Sturko's release of the leaked documents she was “just her job”, and he would not have hesitated to do the same if he were on the opposition benches.

Rustad said the investigation of the leak was an attempt for the government to “shower” to those who speak against them and asked Eby if it was started at the behest of the government.

“The police who carry out the investigation acts independently,” said Eby. “I tried to understand whether we could intervene in this ongoing investigation and say that the resources would be better directed elsewhere and that we are unable.”

Sturko said on Wednesday that the document did not come from a police officer, but would not disclose who distributed it from the conviction that it was “in the public interest”.

She said her RCMP interview had expressed concerns.

“It had a terrifying effect on me, mainly the fear that the individual or the individual who thought it was important would be affected to advance this information,” she said.

“It is not a police officer, but if you are ready to send the police to try to find a whistleblower, you know what will you do if this was an employee in the healthcare system or another member of the community?”

Sturko said the document had addressed a “serious security concerns” and led to an “immediate change in guidelines”.

The Minister of Public Security, Garry Begg, said the investigation of the leak was “appropriate” and doubted that Sturko was unprepared for an interview because – like BEGG – she had been a police officer for many years.

“She knows how the police do their business,” he said. “I would be very surprised if she was shocked that the police wanted to speak to her.”

The BC government overtook its safer program shortly after the leak.

This report by Canadian Press was first published on May 14, 2025.

Darryl Greer and Wolfgang Depner, the Canadian press,