Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated that he turfed Jody Wilson-Raybould and Jane Philpott out of the Liberal caucus because they are not team players. In a speech that bordered on Trudeau coming across as a victim rather than the perpetrator, it covered the bases except for one glaring point. Trudeau failed to address the underlying issue of trying to override Wilson-Raybould’s decision to not direct the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to give SNC-Lavalin a Deferred Prosecution Agreement (DPA). The DPP had apparently already decided that the circumstances of the SNC-Lavalin case did not merit a DPA. As Wilson-Raybould refused to budge, she undoubtedly started to get pressure from various people in contact with the PM. Faced with that increasing strain, Wilson-Raybould decided to record a conversation she had with the Clerk of the Privy Council, Michael Wernick. Although some people may question the so-called ethics of this cover-your-butt strategy, it was evident that without proof of what transpired the integrity of Wilson-Raybould would have been attacked.
Whether or not there are other factors, perhaps unknown to the public, and notwithstanding the economic considerations associated with a court proceeding against SNC-Lavalin, the DPP should not be subjected to political intervention. If the DPP is not doing their job properly then replace them.
While there are those that will remain loyal to Trudeau for a variety of reasons, Trudeau’s trustworthiness has taken a big hit. His ‘sunny ways’ may have hoodwinked voters in 2015 but those days are now history.
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