‘Canadians deserve answers’
SCHEER DEMANDS PM ALLOW WILSON-RAYBOULD TO ADDRESS SNC-LAVALIN CONTROVERSY
Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer is calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to waive solicitor-client privilege so former justice minister Jody Wilson-raybould can publicly address allegations of political interference related to the prosecution of Snclavalin Group Inc.
In a letter to the prime minister published on social media Sunday, Scheer also requested that Trudeau make public any confidential communications to or from the prime minister or his staff in relation to the criminal case surrounding the Montreal-based construction firm, which is facing corruption charges on accusations it funnelled $48 million in bribes to Libyan government officials in order to win business.
Scheer argued transparency is necessary so the case can proceed “free from the cloud of scandal and accusation.”
“Canadians deserve answers on the ‘matter,’ as the allegations surrounding it strike at the very heart of fair and impartial law enforcement and prosecutorial functions, themselves vital to the rule of law and to our democracy,” Scheer wrote. The growing crisis erupted last week after The Globe and Mail reported the prime minister’s office pressured former attorney general Wilson-raybould to negotiate a deal that would allow Snc-lavalin to avoid a criminal trial in exchange for paying a fine and implementing corporate compliance measures. She didn’t. In January, she was shuffled to Veterans Affairs.
Wilson-raybould has declined to comment on the matter, releasing only a brief statement on Friday saying she’s bound by solicitor-client privilege given her former role as attorney general.
The prime minister denied that he “directed” Wilson-raybould to “take a decision in this matter.”
Unnamed government officials, however, told The Canadian Press that Wilson-raybould was indeed involved in discussions about whether the government should negotiate a deferred prosecution agreement with Snc-lavalin.
They argued there was nothing wrong with such talks given the steep consequences of a guilty verdict, which would prohibit Snclavalin from bidding on government contracts for 10 years. That could devastate business prospects for the company that employs more than 8,700 Canadians, many in Quebec where Trudeau holds his seat.
These discussions followed the independent public prosecutor’s decision not to negotiate a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) with Snc-lavalin. Under Canadian law, the attorney general can direct the public prosecutor to make a different decision, but it must be in writing and publicized.
When Wilson-raybould was removed from the role, she issued an unusual statement on the need for the attorney general to be non-partisan and willing to speak truth to power.
“It is a pillar of our democracy that our system of justice be free from even the perception of political interference and uphold the highest levels of public confidence,” she wrote.
Wilson-raybould’s silence on last week’s reports and Trudeau’s denial left room for the opposition to ques- tion what really happened.
Scheer acknowledged the importance of solicitor-client privilege and confidentiality in Canada’s legal system, but argued the prime minister should provide a full accounting of what happened in order to restore confidence in the “integrity, fairness and impartiality of the criminal justice system.”
“If you do not meet this obligation, Canadians can only conclude that there is something you wish to keep hidden,” Scheer wrote in his letter.
There is precedent of prime ministers waiving both solicitor-client privilege and confidentiality, Scheer noted. Prime minister Paul Martin did so to co-operate with the Gomery commission, which probed the sponsorship scandal, and prime minister Stephen Harper followed suit in relation to the investigation of Sen. Mike Duffy and the trial of Vice-admiral Mark Norman.
The prime minister’s office did not reply to questions on Sunday about whether Trudeau will waive the privileges or release his communications.
Meantime, the opposition has demanded an emergency meeting of the House of Commons justice committee to get to the bottom of the affair. The Conservatives and the NDP want the chance to interview Wilson-raybould, her replacement David Lametti, director of public prosecutions Kathleen Roussel, and key Trudeau staffers, including Katie Telford and Gerald Butts.
The Toronto Star reported that the Liberals planned to block the testimony. But Liberal MP Anthony Housefather, chairman of the justice committee, said on Twitter Saturday he will convene a justice meeting Wednesday related to Snclavalin.
“I intend to independently determine whether committee study of the issue will be useful for Canadians & colleagues will do the same,” he said.
As politicians seek answers, the Snc-lavalin case continues to proceed through Canada’s justice system. The company is seeking a judicial review of the public prosecutor’s decision not to grant it a deferred prosecution agreement.