Minister in hot seat over cabinet resignation

Saskatchewan’s only Liberal MP, Ralph Goodale, was in the hot seat Tuesday in Regina as he was grilled by reporters about former justice minister Jody Wilson-raybould’s cabinet resignation and the state of the public’s trust in the government and the Canadian judicial system.

“I’m sorry to see any colleague leave cabinet,” said Goodale, federal minister of public safety and emergency preparedness, before referring any further comment to a statement expected from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau later Tuesday afternoon.

In Regina to announce federal climate-action funding for the City of Regina, Goodale was peppered with questions about allegations that the Prime Minister’s Office may have attempted to interfere with Wilson-raybould’s decision-making as attorney general regarding Snc-lavalin.

When asked if the allegations and the subsequent resignation should concern Canadians over the independence of the judicial system, he replied with a succinct, “No.”

When pressed, he said, “the issues, the prime minister has made very clear, do not affect the independence of our judicial system.

“It will be very important for all of us to demonstrate that that confidence is strong and well-placed,” said Goodale. “We will be doing that by demonstrating the good work that the government is doing … and doing it with full integrity and respect for the public’s trust.”

He said public trust is fundamental and the federal government will be taking “every possible measure to reinforce that confidence and that trust.”

A justice committee is to meet Wednesday and in the meantime, the Office of the Ethics Commissioner has indicated it will conduct an investigation into matters that fall “within their jurisdiction,” said Goodale.