NDP leader wants public inquiry into scandal
‘We need to get to the bottom’ of allegations involving SNC-Lavalin, former justice minister, he says
Federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says a public inquiry is necessary in the scandal involving engineering giant SNC-Lavalin and Canada’s former justice minister.
Singh said while campaigning in Burnaby today that serious questions need to be answered about the scandal that cuts to the heart of Canada’s democracy.
Vancouver-Granville member of Parliament Jody Wilson-Raybould resigned from cabinet last week, days after a report that says she was pressured to help SNC-Lavalin avoid criminal prosecution when she was justice minister.
She was moved to veterans affairs in a cabinet shuffle last month before she resigned, saying she was getting legal advice on what she was permitted to say about the claims.
Singh, who’s in Burnaby for a byelection in which he’s the party’s candidate next Monday, says Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government appears to be acting on behalf of its “friends” in this situation.
He says after Liberal justice committee members attempted last week to obstruct any attempt to get to the bottom of the allegations, while the prime minister repeatedly changed his story, it’s become clear that a public inquiry is needed.
The New Democrats will is also asking Trudeau to allow Wilson-Raybould to be able to speak about the issue.
The party will ask for a vote on both measures later this week, he says.
“These are things that Canadians demand,” Singh says.
The call comes as Gerald Butts, Trudeau’s principal secretary and longtime friend, resigned today.
“The resignation of Gerald Butts is a surprising, potential admission of wrongdoing on the part of the government and that bolsters our case for why a public inquiry is so important at this point,” Singh said.
Asked again, Singh said “this is a pretty surprising admission of guilt ... more than ever, we need to get to the bottom of this and a public inquiry is the way to go.”
Asked if Butts is a sacrificial lamb, he said only Trudeau could answer that but given the timing with SNC-Lavalin so much in the news, Singh said it was further evidence that there was wrongdoing.
In a statement, Butts denies the accusation that he or anyone else in the office improperly pressured Wilson-Raybould to help SNC-Lavalin avoid a criminal case on corruption and bribery charges related to government contracts in Libya.
The resignation of Gerald Butts is a surprising, potential admission of wrongdoing on the part of the government and that bolsters our case for why a public inquiry is so important at this point”
Federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh