Trudeau 'welcomes' ethics probe of alleged PMO interference in SNC-Lavalin case

[pgs]

No. The entire fiasco was mishandled from the beginning when it should have been left up to the courts to decide. Instead it became a political football that still hasn't reached the end zone due to the machinations of all involved. It has kept the Vice-Admiral Norman affair off the front pages where it rightly belongs and where when it finally does it will effectively reveal that all those involved in the SNC Lavalin scandal are also the same cast of characters who are trying to bring down a decent man who was just trying to do his job. Once that happens the complicity of the former AG in trying to bring about his downfall will be revealed.

This might be cover for the Norman affair , or is this just a continuation ? There appears to be a close relationship with all the companies involved and the Liberal Party .

 

[Mowich]

Liberal MPs want to turf JWR, Philpott

Philpott has been noticeably quiet since her interview with the media. Though talking to the media was not her best move she hasn't said anything further to harm the party or the PM. I could see the caucus giving her a break over the interview and voting to keep her.

 

[Twin_Moose]

Philpott has been noticeably quiet since her interview with the media. Though talking to the media was not her best move she hasn't said anything further to harm the party or the PM. I could see the caucus giving her a break over the interview and voting to keep her.

IMO to have any chance to make any argument of division or toxic workplace within the party to sell to the public both have to be turfed

 

[Mowich]

This might be cover for the Norman affair , or is this just a continuation ? There appears to be a close relationship with all the companies involved and the Liberal Party .

There is, pgs. The Harper government with the involvement of the Vice-Admiral chose Davies Shipbuilding to complete the contract. The repurposing of the tanker chosen was completed and brought in under budget and on time. However, when the current liberal government came to power they wanted Irving Shipyards - a big liberal party donor - to have the contract and briefly halted the contract after which they accused Mark Norman of leaking their involvement - an accusation that has yet to be proved and that the liberals are doing all they can in the way of obstructing the defense, to come to light.


https://nationalpost.com/news/polit...et-to-take-place-during-2019-federal-election
https://nationalpost.com/opinion/co...brave-and-honourable-vice-admiral-mark-norman

 

[Mowich]

IMO to have any chance to make any argument of division or toxic workplace within the party to sell to the public both have to be turfed

I do see your point there, TM.

 

[pgs]

There is, pgs. The Harper government with the involvement of the Vice-Admiral chose Davies Shipbuilding to complete the contract. The repurposing of the tanker chosen was completed and brought in under budget and on time. However, when the current liberal government came to power they wanted Irving Shipyards - a big liberal party donor - to have the contract and briefly halted the contract after which they accused Mark Norman of leaking their involvement - an accusation that has yet to be proved and that the liberals are doing all they can in the way of obstructing the defense, to come to light.


https://nationalpost.com/news/polit...et-to-take-place-during-2019-federal-election
https://nationalpost.com/opinion/co...brave-and-honourable-vice-admiral-mark-norman

Exactly , similar to SNC Lavalin and their DPA . Complete with stonewalling and coverups.

 

[Twin_Moose]

Read Jody Wilson-Raybould’s letter, a challenge to Liberals

Wilson-Raybould makes final pitch to stay in Liberal caucus as colleagues consider her fate

Butts, JWR texts document escalating dispute

OTTAWA - Text messages between Jody Wilson-Raybould and one of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's top advisers suggest she initially tried to prevent her move out of the prestigious Justice portfolio by arguing it would send the wrong message to Indigenous Peoples.

But Wilson-Raybould's exchanges with Gerald Butts, Trudeau's former principal secretary, became increasingly angry and ominous-sounding as the day of the Jan. 14 cabinet shuffle approached.
In one of her final texts before the shuffle, she told Butts he should "know I will be prepared for tomorrow. And I know why this is happening."
Butts has submitted the text messages to the House of Commons justice committee, in response to Wilson-Raybould's written submission last week, which supplemented her nearly four hours of oral testimony at the committee in February.
None of the texts directly mentions SNC-Lavalin but Butts told the committee last month that he had numerous conversations with Wilson-Raybould during the week before the shuffle in which she stated her belief that she was being punished for refusing to intervene in the criminal prosecution of the Montreal engineering giant.
Wilson-Raybould, who made history as Canada’s first Indigenous justice minister, resigned from cabinet a month later. Butts resigned shortly thereafter.
Wilson-Raybould maintains she was improperly pressured by the Prime Minister's Office last fall to override the director of public prosecutions, who had decided to proceed with a criminal prosecution of SNC-Lavalin on bribery charges related to contracts in Libya, rather than negotiate a remediation agreement, a sort of plea bargain.
Trudeau told Wilson-Raybould on Jan. 7, while she was vacationing in Bali, that he was moving her to Indigenous Services to replace Jane Philpott whom he was moving to Treasury Board to fill the void left by the retirement of Scott Brison.
Wilson-Raybould refused to take on Indigenous Services, since it would put her in charge of the Indian Act she'd spent her life fighting. Trudeau agreed to move her to Veterans Affairs instead.
At the moment those discussions were taking place, protests were erupting across the country in support of a northern British Columbia First Nation, 14 members of which had been arrested by the RCMP for blocking an access road used by workers on a natural gas pipeline project.
Wilson-Raybould noted those protests in a Jan. 8 text to Butts.
"Timing of 'pushing' me out (which will be the perception – whether true or not) is terrible," she wrote.
"It will be confounding and perplexing to people. This is not about me — believe me when I say this — but this is about an approach to Indigenous Peoples … This situation is only going to deepen and I am very worried about it. I am getting texts/emails from indig leaders and B.C. etc. Just felt I had to text."
Butts responded: "Nobody is 'pushing you out.' In fact, the PM has taken the extraordinary (in my experience unique) step of offering an alternative cabinet post to you."
On Jan. 10, Butts asked Wilson-Raybould if it was her preference to have her chief of staff, Jessica Prince, move with her to Veterans Affairs. She responded: "Yes, it is my preference."
But two days later, she implied that moving Prince out of Justice was part of a plan to install a new chief of staff who would be more supportive of intervention in the SNC-Lavalin file.
On Jan. 12, as she was about to depart Bali, Wilson-Raybould texted Butts to say: "For what it is worth, I feel compelled to say — one last time — that what is being proposed is a mistake — irrespective of where I am going. There is no way to fully explain this.
"My eyes are wide open on this shift. What I know — as you must — is that there is a robust and proud record of what our government has done — through my work and that of the (Department of Justice) … I stand behind this hard work and all of my decisions and legal advice."
Butts wished her a safe trip and added: "I know this is tough but we have very good ideas to make it all work from a comms perspective. There’s an opportunity here for you to show people a side of yourself and your talent that you did not get as (minister of justice and attorney general). I really want to help. Starting with asking Jess to go with you."
She responds with: "I guess you want me to take Jess to make room for new PMO (chief of staff) (Mathieu or elder) to support incoming PS" * — apparently assuming her parliamentary secretary, Arif Virani, was going to be named justice minister and that his chief of staff would be either Mathieu Bouchard or Elder Marques *— senior staffers in the Prime Minister’s Office whom Wilson-Raybould has since accused of exerting inappropriate pressure on her to intervene in the SNC-Lavalin case.
In fact, Trudeau appointed Montreal backbencher and former law professor David Lametti to the justice portfolio. Bouchard and Marques remain at PMO.
"Nope, I want to know your preference," Butts replied.
"I told you my preference," she texted back. "As to the 'very good ideas' you guys might want to consider sharing them with me. But know I will be prepared for tomorrow. And I know why this is happening."
"Yes, you do because the PM told you why it is happening," Butts responded, describing a cascading series of moves made necessary by Brison's departure.
"Nobody wanted to move but everyone pitched in for the sake of the team."

 

[Danbones]

LIBERALS BAN JODY WILSON-RAYBOULD!!!
Bryton Cherrier
Published on Apr 2, 2019

 

[Cannuck]

Shoulda kept her and punted Trudeau

 

[Mowich]

Read Jody Wilson-Raybould’s letter, a challenge to Liberals

Wilson-Raybould makes final pitch to stay in Liberal caucus as colleagues consider her fate

Butts, JWR texts document escalating dispute

If anything that letter to fellow MPs probably hardened their position. Unfortunately for Wilson-Raybould the die was cast when she had the temerity to question the PM over the cabinet shuffle - a decision that was his alone and for which no input from an MP was needed. And from that point on things just went straight downhill for both of them but he's still PM and she is now out in the cold sitting as an independent. Not much power in that position. It will be interesting to see if any of the other parties decide to take a chance on her.

 

[Mowich]

Shoulda kept her and punted Trudeau

Shoulda punted her long ago...............though I am really glad they didn't as the harm she's done to the liberal party is priceless.

 

[Mowich]

Well, wait two days & she'll be gone. Wait six months & Justin should be gone also.

Didn't even have to wait till Wednesday Ron. Next up the liberal party. Gone, baby, gone. Bring on the election.

 

[Twin_Moose]

If anything that letter to fellow MPs probably hardened their position. Unfortunately for Wilson-Raybould the die was cast when she had the temerity to question the PM over the cabinet shuffle - a decision that was his alone and for which no input from an MP was needed. And from that point on things just went straight downhill for both of them but he's still PM and she is now out in the cold sitting as an independent. Not much power in that position. It will be interesting to see if any of the other parties decide to take a chance on her.

I would be watching for them to shop themselves around to the different parties, only way to get their golden pension, NDP should be rolling out the Red carpet, CPC shouldn't even consider them, too toxic in the party, OK to use them though

 

[Mowich]

I would be watching for them to shop themselves around to the different parties, only way to get their golden pension, NDP should be rolling out the Red carpet, CPC shouldn't even consider them, too toxic in the party, OK to use them though

I would actually like to see Andrew make a very public invitation to Wilson-Raybould to come and join our party. I would truly love to see her response. If Philpot wants to run again, I don't think she will have a problem finding a party. I'd welcome her into the Conservative fold.

No matter where they land, I am quite sure that the party leader will make it crystal clear that loyalty matters.


I'm still recovering from the fact that the little potato did the dirty deed himself. 8O

 

[pgs]

I would actually like to see Andrew make a very public invitation to Wilson-Raybould to come and join our party. I would truly love to see her response. If Philpot wants to run again, I don't think she will have a problem finding a party. I'd welcome her into the Conservative fold.

No matter where they land, I am quite sure that the party leader will make it crystal clear that loyalty matters.


I'm still recovering from the fact that the little potato did the dirty deed himself. 8O

The best thing both MP’s could do for Max and his fledging People’s Party would be to join instantly giving two house seats , providing legitimacy to the party heading into the election . It would also show the party is striving to accept all voices with a Canada first agenda . Will this happen I doubt it , but Bernier should be courting.

 

[pgs]

I would actually like to see Andrew make a very public invitation to Wilson-Raybould to come and join our party. I would truly love to see her response. If Philpot wants to run again, I don't think she will have a problem finding a party. I'd welcome her into the Conservative fold.

No matter where they land, I am quite sure that the party leader will make it crystal clear that loyalty matters.


I'm still recovering from the fact that the little potato did the dirty deed himself. 8O

Yes I definitely expected it to be a caucus decision , there must not have been a unanimous decision.

 

[taxslave]

I would actually like to see Andrew make a very public invitation to Wilson-Raybould to come and join our party. I would truly love to see her response. If Philpot wants to run again, I don't think she will have a problem finding a party. I'd welcome her into the Conservative fold.
No matter where they land, I am quite sure that the party leader will make it crystal clear that loyalty matters.
I'm still recovering from the fact that the little potato did the dirty deed himself. 8O

An elected offial should be loyal to the electorate and do what is right, not tow the party line.

 

[Mowich]

An elected offial should be loyal to the electorate and do what is right, not tow the party line.

Of course, ts.............in a Utopian world that would be true. There is not one political party in Canada that does not hold loyalty to be of prime importance. That is simply a fact.

 

[pgs]

An elected offial should be loyal to the electorate and do what is right, not tow the party line.

Should is the operative word . However when the party leader must sign your nomination papers things tend to get sticky . Add in pension and other available benifits and loyalties can get more clouded.

 

[JLM]

I would actually like to see Andrew make a very public invitation to Wilson-Raybould to come and join our party. I would truly love to see her response. If Philpot wants to run again, I don't think she will have a problem finding a party. I'd welcome her into the Conservative fold.

No matter where they land, I am quite sure that the party leader will make it crystal clear that loyalty matters.


I'm still recovering from the fact that the little potato did the dirty deed himself. 8O

He's finished, if not now, in October! Advertising the fact you are corrupt just will NOT fly!