SNC-Lavalin Scandal Continues

So Tired

I’m sure many Canadians are tired of hearing about this never-ending story, much like I am. But, like a mystery novel, there continues to be twists and turns in the story that make it rather interesting, even if you’re one that doesn’t pay much attention to politics. I’m sure Justin Trudeau by now is wishing this story would go away, but the plot seems to be thickening by the day and the Prime Minister is sinking further down the proverbial rabbit hole. Most recently, the Prime Minister threatened to sue the leader of the Opposition party, Andrew Scheer, for defamation regarding comments he made concerning the SNC-Lavalin controversy. I can’t recall ever hearing a sitting Prime Minister threatening to sue another politician. Andrew Scheer has requested on several occasions that the Prime Minister follow-up on his threat and take him to court where Justin Trudeau will not be able to control the proceedings or shutdown witnesses.

Becoming an Independent

I’m not a political analyst, but I think what the Conservatives are doing will not help them come election time this fall. The Conservative party doesn’t need to keep poking away at the SNC-Lavalin matter and the character of the Prime Minister. Justin Trudeau is doing a fine job of making himself look bad. He has members in his own party turning against him who have stated publicly that they have lost confidence in his ability to lead the party and the country. Most recently, one of the women the Prime Minister ejected from caucus, Jane Philpott, has indicated that Justin Trudeau did not follow Parliament rules by having the ejection voted on. I’m not sure if the voting issue is a legal or procedural matter, but it’s now before the House Speaker in Parliament to decide on. No matter how the House Speaker decides, Jane Philpott and Jody Wilson-Raybould are no longer members of the Liberal party and are now Independent members in the House of Commons.

Breaking the Parliament of Canada Act

When questioned by the media on the decision to eject Jane Philpott and former Attorney General Jody Wilson-Raybould, Justin Trudeau stated that the will of the caucus was very clear, but that he made the decision. He also said that the two women had no longer had confidence in the Liberal party or himself, the leader. The Prime Minister also went on to say that the recording of a phone conversation made by Jody Wilson-Raybould was unconscionable and something she should never had done. Of all the statements the Prime Minister has made, on the issues surrounding the SNC-Lavalin affair, it was the one he made concerning loyalty I found the most troubling. The Prime Minister indicated that the first loyalty of Jane Philpott and Jody Wilson-Raybould should be to the Liberal party and himself, the leader. Really Justin? What about loyalty to the voters who elected you and the other members of the government? I believe a politician’s first loyalty should be to their constituents and the citizens of Canada, not to the political party they belong to.

Standing Up for Your Beliefs

At the end of the day, Jane Philpott and Jody Wilson-Raybould saw and heard things within the government that made them uncomfortable, and they took the necessary steps to separate themselves from those situations. I applaud them both for sticking to their principals and doing what they thought was right. Jody Wilson-Raybould recorded a telephone conversation she had with outgoing Privy Council Clerk Michael Wernick that many within the Liberal party thought was despicable and one of the issues according to the Prime Minister for her expulsion from caucus. I think it could be quite possible that she had been taking pressure from the Prime Ministers Office for some time to provide SNC-Lavalin a deferred prosecution agreement. With the continued pressure, and her refusal to become involved, she most likely anticipated that this could come back to bite her in the ass, so she took steps to backup her story. Perhaps the audio recording was stepping over a line, but if the outcome to this matter would have been different and blame was being placed on someone, it probably would have fallen on Jody Wilson-Raybould. I highly doubt that Justin Trudeau would have taken the blame had a deferred prosecution agreement been granted to SNC-Lavalin and it was learned by the opposition party or the media that the Attorney General was pressured into it. When you hear the story of Jody Wilson-Raybould, it makes the Prime Minister seem like a bully and not the feminist he claims to be.

Political Interference for Jobs

No doubt we will hear considerably more on the SNC-Lavalin affair and even more blame will be cast. One thing we can be sure of is that Justin Trudeau will not be accountable to anything associated with SNC-Lavalin and he will stick to his story that the company needed assistance to protect the 9,000 jobs that would have been lost if the company was found guilty on charges it was facing in court. SNC-Lavalin wants the deferred prosecution agreement because if they are found guilty, they will automatically be banned from bidding on federal government contracts for 10 years, and that would truly hurt. Whether one job will be lost or a million jobs, the government should not be getting involved in criminal matters and doing so is obstruction of justice. Andrew Scheer should refrain from trying to push Justin Trudeau to sue him and simply find a way for an independent investigation to be done. As this is a matter of obstruction of justice, bringing in the RCMP would seem to be the entity best equipped to investigate such matters. Andrew Scheer and his conservatives should be focused on the upcoming election and putting together a platform that is better than the Liberals. The climate and environment are big issues these days, and the conservatives would be wise to ensure they have a plan that people will be excited about and want to be involved in. Justin Trudeau and his Liberals are doing a good job on their own of causing the party to implode, and if their own party members are losing confidence in the party and leader, the same will be true of most Canadians.

We Want Transparency

SNC-Lavalin isn’t going anywhere soon and it’s an issue that’s embarrassing to the government as well as the citizens of this country. Justin Trudeau should be completely transparent on the issue and let everything on the matter be made public. It’s said that those with nothing to hide, hide nothing. It’s time the Prime Minister man up and put everything on the table and remove the doubts many of us have regarding his involvement in this scandal.

Cheers,

GP Joa

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