Defining heroes in SNC-Lavalin scandal
Re Nothing heroic in what Wilson-Raybould’s done, Hepburn, March 7
Jody Wilson-Raybould didn’t ask to be a hero. She sacrificed her cabinet position and reputation in good standing with the Liberals in favour of a lesson in ethics for the Trudeau government.
Bob Hepburn’s attack on her character and motivation is ill-founded and a poor manipulation of the facts. He considers 10 meetings and 11 phone calls as “some pressure.” How many times would Hepburn need his boss to tell him to correct his behaviour before he felt pressured?
He claims she made the story all about herself and threw her fellow Liberal MPs under the bus. No, she made the story about unnecessary, unwanted and unethical influence from the PMO office. It just happened to be directed at her.
Hepburn’s accusations regarding “huge delays” between the first and later attempts to pressure her contradicts his opinion on how little pressure was applied. So which is it? Does she need more than 10 pressured meetings or one to be credible?
He states she “didn’t seem to care about the potential loss of 9,000 jobs.” Where does that come from and how is it relevant? This is about manipulation and ethics. Quebec jobs is the Trudeau defence.
Lastly, Hepburn writes, “Incredibly, WilsonRaybould intends to seek re-election as a Liberal candidate, even though she is fed up with Trudeau. Where’s the integrity in that?”
Here’s the integrity, Mr. Hepburn. She believes in the Liberal ideals and goals. It is the party leader who is in question. What kind of courage do you think it takes to stand up for strong principles, decent ethics and unashamed transparency? I’d say heroic. Maurice Sacco, Toronto I’m in complete agreement with Bob Hepburn in his depiction of Jody Wilson-Raybould in the SNC-Lavalin affair. How many very competent MPs never get to be cabinet ministers because these very important positions have to be equally spread across the country?
The whole episode was all about the former attorney general who cares more about her own personal status and not about integrity and transparency in government. Dorothy Low, Richmond Hill