The last two weeks in Canadian politics have been explosive. Almost every day, new bombshell developments have come to light in the SNC Lavalin affair.
Allegations against Justin Trudeau’s Prime Minister’s Office were first published in the Globe and Mail. The initial claim was that the Prime Minister’s Office attempted to pressure Jody Wilson-Raybould, who was then justice minister, to intervene in the prosecution of Montreal engineering and construction giant SNC-Lavalin Group Inc.
Jody Wilson-Raybould was later fired from her job. The question is: did the Prime Minister relieve Wilson-Raybould of her duties because she refused to intervene in the criminal case? The Prime Minister initially claimed that because Wilson-Raybould was still in cabinet, she had full confidence in the government.
Then, Wilson-Raybould resigned from cabinet.
Canadians need to know the facts in this unprecedented case. Yet the Prime Minister has responded only with vague statements and legal jargon.
The Prime Minister promised his government would be the most transparent in Canadian history. Needless to say, this is not transparency. These are the actions of a government desperately trying to cover up a scandal. There is presently one investigation underway, which is being conducted by the Federal Ethics Commissioner (this is the fifth time this government has been subject to an ethics investigation).
However, Canadians need answers now. The Liberals have stonewalled our investigative attempts at every opportunity. My Conservative colleagues on the Justice Committee called for a probe of the affair. Incredibly, the Liberal MPs on the committee blocked any meaningful investigation by refusing to call key witnesses including Jody Wilson-Raybould herself and the Prime Minister’s Principal Secretary, Gerald Butts. I asked the government directly in Question Period what was discussed when Gerald Butts met with SNC Lavalin. I received nothing but generic talking points in response.
Conservatives will now explore legal and law enforcement options to hold Justin Trudeau accountable for this coverup and get Canadians the answers they deserve. We will not allow the Prime Minister to sweep this scandal under the rug.
I can be reached in Ottawa at martin.shields@parl.gc.ca. My Brooks office can be reached at 403-793-6775 or martin.shields.c1@parl.gc.ca, and my Strathmore office at 403-361-2980 or martin.shields.c1B@parl.gc.ca. Please don’t hesitate to contact me about any federal issue.
