Questions Trudeau refuses to answer

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was forced to deflect a barrage of questions on Wednesday as opposition parties showed no signs of letting the Snc-lavalin scandal subside. One particular line of attack came from Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer during question period about a meeting he had with his then attorney general, Jody Wilson-raybould, on Sept. 17, 2018. It was two weeks after the director of public prosecutions told Snc-lavalin that it did not qualify for a negotiated settlement and would have to stand trial on corruption charges. This is a heavily-edited transcript of some of the questions and answers Wednesday. SCHEER: Who asked for this (Sept. 17) meeting?

TRUDEAU: I want to assure Canadians that at all times we will assume our responsibility to defend jobs in Canada.

SCHEER: Was the Prime Minister aware of Canada’s top prosecutor’s decision when he had the meeting with the former attorney general, yes or no?

TRUDEAU: This is a file that touches tens of thousands of Canadians right across the country, including 9,000 direct jobs and communities right across the country.

CHARLIE ANGUS: Will the Prime Minister give us a full airing and agree to an independent inquiry, where his staff will be forced to testify?

TRUDEAU: Unlike the member opposite, we will always stand up for jobs, we will always stand up for the Canadian economy, but we will do that in ways that respect judicial independence and the rule of law.

SCHEER: When did the Prime Minister become aware of the December 5 meeting between Gerald Butts and the former attorney general?

TRUDEAU: The Conservatives do not seem to understand that a team that works together actually has lots of people having meetings about things that matter all the time.

SCHEER: Why would the Prime Minister have so many meetings with the former attorney general if it was not to try to reverse a decision that had already been made?

TRUDEAU: I can confirm right here in this House that we had many meetings between cabinet ministers and the Prime Minister and the Prime Minister’s Office on a broad range of important issues that matter to Canadians.

SCHEER: Has he ever told the former attorney general that he favoured a special deal for Snc-lavalin, yes or no?

TRUDEAU: Canadians can look at this government’s record and know that step-by-step we have always stood up for them.

SCHEER: Gerald Butts claims to be innocent, but innocent people do not tend to resign from their jobs. Did the prime minister ask Mr. Butts to resign, yes or no?

TRUDEAU: Gerald Butts’ statement speaks for itself. He made this decision because he felt it was important for the government to move forward.

SCHEER: What exactly was Mr. Butts moving on from if nothing improper happened?

TRUDEAU: This government continues to focus on the things that matter to Canadians, like delivering a Canada child benefit that helps nine out of 10 Canadian families.