OTTAWA – As the SNC-Lavalin scandal was headed into its sixth and arguably most dramatic week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he had a "cordial" conversation with former Liberal minister Jody Wilson-Raybould.
Trudeau told reporters on Monday that he last spoke with her the Monday prior and that it was "a very cordial conversation," but did not elaborate further on the details of that interaction.
Wilson-Raybould has made serious allegations that have continued to rock Parliament Hill and damage the Liberal government of which she is still a member. During an hours-long appearance before the House Justice Committee on Feb. 27, she claimed that when she was attorney general, she faced a months-long "sustained effort" from senior officials to politically interfere in the criminal prosecution of Quebec construction firm SNC-Lavalin. Trudeau's government has been hit by a series of high-profile resignations and a steady stream of new information coming to light through committee testimony, and in the press.
Within last Monday alone:
- Trudeau shuffled his cabinet for the third time in as many weeks to fill a sole vacancy created by Jane Philpott, who resigned citing a loss of confidence in the government’s handling of the affair;
- Clerk of the Privy Council Michael Wernick, who was named by Wilson-Raybould in her testimony, announced his intention to retire before the federal election; and
- Trudeau appointed former Liberal minister Anne McLellan to examine some of the machinery of government issues that have been brought into the spotlight through the SNC-Lavalin controversy.
Wilson-Raybould kept a low profile last week, before writing a letter that became public on Friday, saying that she'd soon be providing additional evidence like text messages and emails, as well as a written statement to the House Justice Committee, despite it having shut down its examination. After hearing a contradicting story from a former top Trudeau adviser, and repeat appearances from senior bureaucrats, the Liberal MPs on the House Justice Committee put an end to the probe on federal budget day, saying that they’d studied it long enough and heard all they needed to on the matter.
Both Wilson-Raybould and Philpott have indicated their intent to remain Liberal members of Parliament. Trudeau said Monday he looks forward to "continuing to engage" with both of them, "as they make their way forward."
"I look forward to continuing to have their strong and thoughtful voices as part of our team," Trudeau said.
Ethics study 'must' go ahead: Scheer
Meanwhile in Ottawa, Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer restated his calls for Trudeau to allow further study of the controversy to occur, and to allow its key players to testify without restrictions.
Scheer — speaking from the foyer of the Commons despite the House not sitting this week — said now is the time for Trudeau to "once and for all to end the cover up, and it's an opportunity he must seize."
He wants Trudeau to fully waive any cabinet confidences for Wilson-Raybould and Philpott to be able to speak to "all events" related to the controversy and to allow a secondary House committee study to proceed.
On Tuesday, the House Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics Committee is scheduled to meet to discuss the prospect of launching a new study into the scandal. There, the opposition will be advancing a motion seeking approval to study the matter, and to call Wilson-Raybould and Philpott to testify. The government routinely insists that House committees are independent masters of their own destiny, in response to any allegations of the contrary. The previous Conservative government also faced accusations that the PMO had its hands in the goings-on at House committees.
The meeting was set to happen last week but was cancelled after the Conservative-prompted overnight voting marathon that completely consumed parliamentary business during the 30 hours it lasted.
Philpott was added to the opposition’s requested list of witnesses came after she told Maclean’s magazine that that there is "much more to the story that needs to be told," but stopped short of saying what exactly that "more" is, citing fear over breaching cabinet confidence.
Scheer said this second study needs to be given the green-light by the Liberal MPs who hold the majority on the committee, especially since so many of their colleagues have come out in the last few days to argue that the pair should, and can air any outstanding information they want to share in the SNC-Lavalin controversy. Though, these call from Liberal MPs and ministers have specifically pointed to the House of Commons as they place to do this, because they’d have the protection of parliamentary privilege.
In February, Trudeau issued an unprecedented waiver in which he relinquished solicitor-client privileges and cabinet confidences so that Wilson-Raybould and anyone who participated in discussions with her could "address relevant matters," in relation to the SNC-Lavalin file. He continues to insist this waiver is satisfactory to allow Wilson-Raybould and others to speak “entirely and completely,” despite her and Philpott stating otherwise.
"Trudeau has said publicly that he wants them to speak and that there's nothing stopping them from speaking, so we’re calling on him to make it official," Scheer said. "If they really want us to believe that they want the truth to come out, if Justin Trudeau truly nothing to hide, then he'll make it official. He will send a letter to Ms.Wilson-Raybould and now Ms. Philpott allowing them to complete their testimony, to speak freely and openly," Scheer said.
