Security and access cards, office key stolen in most recent theft of justice minister's vehicle

A number of government assets — including government employee security and entry passes and an office key — were stolen and were not recovered when the justice minister's government-issued vehicle was stolen in November 2023.

A spokesperson for Justice Minister Arif Virani didn't say what key was taken or whether the lock has been subsequently changed.

«All passes were deactivated as soon as the theft was reported,» the spokesperson said in a statement sent to CBC News on Wednesday.

It's not clear how much time passed before the theft was reported. The 2021 Toyota Highlander was reported stolen and recovered within the same month.

Some government bags that were in the vehicle were also taken; a department spokesperson said the bags were empty. A book of taxi chits was also stolen and not recovered.

Virani's 2021 Toyota Highlander was reported stolen on November 11, 2023 — the third time the justice minister's vehicle was stolen in as many years.

The same vehicle was stolen and recovered last February when David Lametti was justice minister. nother vehicle used by Lametti — a 2019 Toyota Highlander — was stolen in February 2021.

«This is an issue that is touching us all,» Virani said in an interview with CBC's chief political correspondent Rosemary Barton in an interview that aired Sunday.

«It's touching communities right around the country and that includes Department of Justice vehicles.»

Other government-owned vehicles assigned to federal officials have been stolen in recent years.

A 2022 Toyota Highlander assigned to Emergency Preparedness Minister Harjit Sajjan was taken last February when he was still the minister of international development. It was later recovered.

Canada Revenue Agency Commissioner Bob Hamilton's 2019