Prime Minister Justin Trudeau鈥檚 office says he learned about the prison transfer of Paul Bernardo the day it happened 鈥� a day earlier than Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino.

The confirmation came as Conservatives called for Mendicino鈥檚 ouster over his office鈥檚 handling of the information that the convicted killer and serial rapist was being moved out of maximum-security prison.

While his office was informed about the possibility of the transfer to a medium-security institution nearly three months before it happened, Mendicino said he found out about it the day after Bernardo was moved.

鈥淎s the minister said in question period, he should have been informed earlier and he has dealt with that,鈥� Alison Murphy, a spokesperson for Trudeau, said in a statement.

Murphy said a staffer in Trudeau鈥檚 office was alerted by the Privy Council Office in March that the transfer was a possibility, and 鈥渋nquiries and requests for information were immediately made to the public safety minister鈥檚 office.鈥�

The statement did not explain why Trudeau was only briefed about the transfer on May 29.

鈥淣ow we know why Justin Trudeau won鈥檛 fire his incompetent minister: Justin Trudeau鈥檚 own office was alerted in March that Paul Bernardo, one of the most vile monsters in Canadian history, was going to be transferred to medium security to enjoy more freedom and comfort,鈥� Opposition Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre tweeted late Wednesday.

鈥淚nstead of acting, the prime minister did nothing and left it in the hands of his most useless minister. This is a failure of leadership at the very top.鈥�

Calls for Mendicino鈥檚 resignation dominated the House of Commons question period on Wednesday, with Mendicino saying 鈥渃orrective steps鈥� have been taken to prevent a similar situation from happening again.

The lambasting came after the Correctional Service of Canada disclosed the timing of when it first informed the minister鈥檚 office about the plans around Bernardo.

Spokesman Kevin Antonucci said the correctional service first emailed Mendicino鈥檚 office about the impending move March 2. At the time, 鈥渢he final date鈥� for the transfer had not been determined, he said.

The service reached out again on May 25, this time including updated 鈥渃ommunications messaging鈥� and information the transfer would happen on May 29.

Mendicino鈥檚 first public response came on June 2, when he called the decision by the correctional service 鈥渟hocking and incomprehensible.鈥�

That statement made the minister guilty of telling 鈥渓ies鈥� to Canadians, Poilievre said Wednesday, because his office knew almost three months in advance and Mendicino had already known for days.

鈥淲hy has the staff not been fired?鈥� Poilievre asked before his party鈥檚 weekly caucus meeting.

鈥淢arco Mendicino needs to resign,鈥� he added, saying that if the minister refuses to step aside, Trudeau should just fire him.

Mendicino鈥檚 office did not respond to questions about why staff withheld information from the minister. He did not take questions from reporters.

Bernardo is serving a life sentence for the kidnapping, sexual abuse and murders of 15-year-old Kristen French and 14-year-old Leslie Mahaffy in the early 1990s.

He also admitted to sexually assaulting 14 other women and was convicted of manslaughter in the death of Tammy Homolka, who died after being drugged and sexually assaulted.

Tammy was the 15-year-old sister of Bernardo鈥檚 then-wife Karla Homolka, who was released in 2005 after completing a 12-year sentence for her role in the crimes committed against French and Mahaffy.

Mendicino, speaking in French, told the Commons 鈥渋t was a mistake within my office鈥� not to inform him when the federal correctional service first presented it with the information.

鈥淚 have also made it clear to my staff that this should have been briefed immediately, corrective steps have been taken, I have dealt with it and we will now always defend the rights of victims,鈥� he told fellow MPs in English.

He separately announced plans to issue a directive to the correctional service that the public safety minister 鈥渕ust be formally and directly notified 鈥� in advance of the transfer of any high-profile or dangerous offenders.鈥�

He said in the House that a directive will also ask that the service 鈥減uts victims鈥� rights at the centre of decisions to transfer鈥� and informs their families before transfers take place.

A review is currently underway into the correctional service鈥檚 decision to transfer Bernardo, who it says does not pose a threat to public safety.

Antonucci said he expects that review to be finished 鈥渨ithin a few weeks.鈥�

A three-person panel will probe the 鈥渁ppropriateness鈥� of his new classification, the consideration and notification given to his victims and 鈥渨hether the legislative and policy framework was followed,鈥� he said.

Tim Danson, the lawyer representing the French and Mahaffy families, said Wednesday marked a troubling anniversary.

鈥淚t鈥檚 particularly acute,鈥� Danson said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e into this controversy on the very day that Paul Bernardo abducted Leslie Mahaffy.鈥�

Danson said he spoke with Mendicino on Wednesday morning and they had what he characterized as a 鈥渇rank but constructive conversation.鈥�

He says the victims鈥� families are 鈥渧ery, very troubled鈥� by the minister鈥檚 lack of notification, saying the incident demonstrates a 鈥渃avalier attitude鈥� toward the situation and 鈥渄emeans鈥� the memories of their daughters.

Danson also questioned how it could be possible that staff in the minister鈥檚 office did not notify him in advance of Bernardo鈥檚 transfer, given Bernardo鈥檚 notoriety and brutal criminal past.

鈥淚s this about plausible deniability?鈥� he asked.

He and Poilievre have both insisted that Mendicino has the power to reverse Bernardo鈥檚 transfer through a ministerial directive.

Poilievre has said that those convicted of multiple murders should always have to serve out their full sentences in maximum-security institutions.

The minister has repeatedly said that his office does not wield power over the security classification for inmates since the correctional service operates as an independent institution.

Mendicino suggested to the Commons that Poilievre鈥檚 suggested solution of taking direct action in the matter would amount to 鈥減olitical interference.鈥�

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh told reporters that firing or demoting the minister is not the answer, saying he believes this was an example of the Liberal government being lousy when it comes to information-sharing.

He instead laid the blame at the feet of Trudeau and said there are legitimate concerns about how the minister has handled his portfolio, which includes the Liberals鈥� controversial gun legislation.

鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 look like he鈥檚 got his house in order,鈥� Singh said.

鈥淚 just don鈥檛 want to let the prime minister off the hook. I want to make it very clear the prime minister sets the tone.鈥�

Some top Liberals, such as government House leader Mark Holland, also expressed concern about how information flows within government.

鈥淚t鈥檚 good for us to take a look at making sure that we have the right processes in place to deal with the flow of information in a country as large and as big as this. There is an enormous amount of information in this form,鈥� Holland said.

鈥淪o we do have to review our processes and make sure that they鈥檙e as strong and as rigorous as possible, and where communication gaps exist, that鈥檚 an opportunity to look at how to fix it.鈥�

Asked about the need for staff to be disciplined, backbench Liberal MP Chris Bittle said he understands why that would make sense.

鈥淭he gut reaction would be: of course. But I鈥檓 sure this (is a) staffer that may be overworked, that probably feels about one foot tall and wants to crawl under a rock.鈥�

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