Wednesday 20 February 2019

The SNC-Lavalin scandal so far: plenty of drama, few facts

https://twitter.com/DavidRayAmos/with_replies





Replying to and 49 others
"Can we count on Jody Wilson-Raybould to shed a little light?"

CBC's dumb question of the day EH?


https://davidraymondamos3.blogspot.com/2019/02/the-snc-lavalin-scandal-so-far-plenty.html





https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/snc-lavalin-wilson-raybould-trudeau-1.5025467




The SNC-Lavalin scandal so far: plenty of drama, few facts



2788 Comments
Commenting is now closed for this story.
2905 Comments before I refreshed the page





Matt Parks
William Knot
I've got one fact: This thing smells to high heaven!


Jennifer McIsaac
Jennifer McIsaac
@William Knot

Maybe but smell is not important. What is important are facts - and we are very short of them.

I am very worried how this whole affair has been publicised. It is virtually gutter press.

Some one (Fife) makes allegations from an unnamed source.
No-one has any facts to support this claim

The Opposition Parties pile on with glee making all sorts of unsupported speculations

The media, never shy to grab sensational headlines, then piles on - again with no facts but lots of innuendo

The government, Liberal Party and Trudeau are vilified by all and sundry - again with no facts.
Social media goes wild with all the government and Trudeau haters in full force - just amplifying the affair - again with no facts.

So, is this how it is these days in Canada - you are assumed guilty with no facts? Your reputation is destroyed with no facts?

Are the media the new paparazzi and gutter press a la News of the Word (which was shut down) because they cannot report on the facts not on unsubstantiated allegations?

It seems so. Poor us.

Matt Parks
Matt Parks
Innocent until proven guilty! Right conservatives?

Frank Goodwood
Frank Goodwood
@Jennifer McIsaac - Are the resignations the fault of the press or just maybe there's something rotten going on?

Zahava Goldfinkel
Zahava Goldfinkel
@William Knot

Politics only smells as bad as we want it to.

When we don't want it to smell bad, it doesn't. When we do, it does.

Matt Thuaii
Matt Thuaii
@William Knot

This week on Unsolved Mysteries...

...the curious case of the moving goal posts. These inanimate objects appear to be moving all on their own near the Ottawa region of Ontario, Canada. Conspiracy theorists suspect the Conservative Party of Canada may somehow be involved.

Barry Fraser
Barry Fraser
@William Knot :

Oh ya, the Federal Government is taking this seriously ????????? You know to protect taxpayers ???????

" Export Development Canada issued SNC-Lavalin or its customers at least $2-billion in 19 loans since 2002, with at least $800-million coming after news broke of an RCMP investigation into alleged corruption. "

You see !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Matt Thuaii
Matt Thuaii
@Jennifer McIsaac

Next week on Unsolved Mysteries...

Is the entire SNC Lavalin affair a false flag operation, engineered to gain sympathy and fresh support for the Liberal Party and their young Prime Minister? Conservative conspiracy theorists think so. Stay tuned...

Jamie Gillis
Jamie Gillis
@Matt Parks

People are allowed to be suspicious. It's what drives people to take a closer look at something that may be not on.

Richard Jay
Richard Jay
@William Knot

"I've got one fact: This thing smells to high heaven!"

CBC won't report those facts because they're a left leaning organization. You're only guilty without proof if you're on the right. The left cannot be found guilty at the CBC.
Not good practice to bit the hand that feeds.

Hopefully once we remove Trudeau from power we can stop funding the CBC and put our tax money to good use else where. This is very expensive propaganda.

Aaron Morris
Aaron Morris
@Jennifer McIsaac

Why did Butts resign? Why was Jody demoted? Why did Jody leave?

None of the answers from the PMO on any of those are plausible.

Paul Doe
Paul Doe
@Matt Parks
I'm not a Conservative supporter.

I agree...innocent until proven guilty. Absolutely.

In order to determine guilt we need disclosure/transparency, etc.

If you tell me that you would think "nothing to see here" if the exact situation was on the Conservatives instead of the Liberals, then I would doubt your veracity.

It has to be investigated without those involved trying to put up roadblocks. Then we can determine innocence or guilt.

Tom Barry
Tom Barry
@Jennifer McIsaac

"The government, Liberal Party and Trudeau are vilified by all and sundry - again with no facts."

I agree, let's not rush to judgement, and the benefit of assumption of innocence until proven guilty.

However, there are facts that show that the former A.G. resigned her position, and Trudeau will not allow her speak.

Another fact is that Butts has resigned because of this issue.

It's difficult to conclude there is nothing to this but gutter press and premature vilification of Trudeau and his party.

Art Rowe
Art Rowe
@Jennifer McIsaac
Canadian media and especially cbc's main TV rival are fast becoming a British Tabloid 'lookalike".

Art Rowe
Art Rowe
@William Knot
Politicians and baby diapers should be changed frequently, for the same reason.

Tom Barry
Tom Barry
@Matt Parks

"Innocent until proven guilty! Right conservatives?"

Trump is innocent until proven guilty! Right liberals? :)

david mccaig
david mccaig
@William Knot

I'm starting to thinking much of this may be nothing more than Trudeau discovering there is not much worse than the wrath of a women scorned.

david mccaig
david mccaig
@William Knot

"I've got one fact: This thing smells to high heaven!"

Out west here, the only thing we smell is the microscopic droplets of oil from air pollution coming from the tar sands, that makes the Tar Sands the number one source of air pollution in north America.

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/oil-sands-found-to-be-a-leading-source-of-air-pollution-in-north-america/article30151841/

david mccaig
david mccaig
@William Knot

For the good of the country and the Liberal Party of Canada, Trudeau needs to appoint a Deputy Prime Minister , THEN STEP ASIDE till the investigations into SNC-Lavalin are complete and hopefully prove Trudeau did no wrong.

david mccaig
david mccaig
@david mccaig

"I've got one fact: This thing smells to high heaven!"

Out west here, the only thing we smell is the microscopic droplets of oil from air pollution coming from the tar sands.

Ted Nesbitt
Ted Nesbitt
@William Knot ....the amount of Greenhouse Gas coming off this stinking pile in Ottawa is way worse than anything anywhere else in Canada right now!

Richard Sharp
Richard Sharp
@William Knot

Not so far. Not a single piece of evidence let along proof of wrongdoing, just hearsay, anonymous sources that JWR felt “pressured” to enter into a DPA with SNC-Lavelin. I’m sure she felt that in Cabinet as we know there were “vigorous” discussions, but that’s not undue. And Trudeau made it clear in September that the decision was JWR’s to make, which conversation she confirmed with JER just a week or so ago. So far, there is also ZERO evidence of improper PMO pressure as well, in fact, a clear denial by Butts and the PMO’s chief of staff and communications director

Richard Sharp
Richard Sharp
@Jennifer McIsaac

Your concerns are being acted out here more than just about anywhere. Twenty pieces and blanket coverage on TV and radio without a shred of proof of any wrongdoing.

bill laplante
bill laplante
@William Knot The Liberal push back has begun following the cabinet meeting yesterday where the Ministers will come out one at a time and praise Butts and Trudeau and all statements will be highlighted by the CBC. I suspect Morneau will be one of the first to speak since he started it all by changing the law hidden on page 285 of his last budget.

david mccaig
david mccaig
@Richard Sharp

censorship is heavy

Richard Sharp
Richard Sharp
@david mccaig

You won’t believe my fact-based defense that CBC was refused to post for ten minutes now.

david mccaig
david mccaig
@William Knot

trouble with monitors is the bloggers are on the receiving end of subjective censorship not objective censorship

david mccaig
david mccaig
@Richard Sharp

starting to think some people aren't carrying out their assigned job in a fair and equable manner.

Jack O Hill
Jack O Hill
@Paul Doe

" If the exact same thing happened to the Conservatives, would you feel the same way? "

Oh, come off it. You know the PMO won't let him say "yes" to that question!

Richard Sharp
Richard Sharp
@Tom Barry

Actually, after consulting with the new AG, JWR IS BEING ALLOWED to speak.

Richard Sharp
Richard Sharp
@bill laplante

Allowing DPAs wasn’t “hidden” in the slightest. There was a two month, public consultation in the preceding fall.

David Amos
David Amos
@Richard Sharp "Actually, after consulting with the new AG, JWR IS BEING ALLOWED to speak."

"Can we count on Jody Wilson-Raybould to shed a little light?"

Methinks we can bet skinny Canadian loonies against fat Yankee petrodollars that he will N'esy Pas?

Dayton Funk
Dayton Funk
@Richard Sharp , Trudeau says he spoke to JWR about direction on Sept. 17th. regarding SNC why? The prosecutors already said the case was going to criminal trial on Sept. 4th. Was Trudeau obstructing justice at that point? Was she under pressure to give SNC Lavalin a pass? Was Butts involved?

Tom Barry
Tom Barry
@Richard Sharp

"Actually, after consulting with the new AG, JWR IS BEING ALLOWED to speak."

Not in public, and that's where the rubber hits the road Richard.

Canadians deserve full disclosure on this issue, not back room resolutions.

Richard Sharp
Richard Sharp
@Richard Jay

Seems CBC is OK with being called left wing, as you done, but It is not OK with posts that suggest otherwise, as I could not do.

David Amos
David Amos
@Richard Sharp Yea Right

Jamie Gillis
Jamie Gillis
@William Knot "This thing smells to high heaven!"

Yes it does! But there's actually a whopping amount circumstantial facts surrounding this. That's not proof, I know, but in light of the allegations reported by the Globe (I trust them to report credible sources, even if we aren't told who they are), there's more than enough cause for a LOT of suspicion.

Some people are losing their minds, getting angry with the opposition, getting angry with the media, calling this a witch hunt. I have to assume those people feel that despite everything we know and what has happened, this matter should be dropped. Take Trudeau at his word, ignore everything. They're seriously, seriously out of touch with reality.

Peter Samson
Peter Samson
@Matt Parks "Innocent until proven guilty! Right conservatives?"

Absolutely. But that doesn't mean we're okay with obstructing the investigation. There are lots of unanswered questions and until Trudeau waives privilege we won't know the answers.

Troy Mann
Troy Mann
@Peter Samson

What questions do you want answered?

Jamie Gillis
Jamie Gillis
@Richard Sharp "Actually, after consulting with the new AG, JWR IS BEING ALLOWED to speak."

She may be allowed to show up, but as far as I know the new AG has not advised Trudeau to waive the solicitor-client privilege and allow her to answer all questions freely. Unless you have a credible media source to support that, your once again being misleading.

Peter Samson
Peter Samson
@Matt Thuaii "...the curious case of the moving goal posts"

I'm not sure what you're talking about. I think in this particular instance the goalposts have been pretty steady. Trudeau needs to waive privilege so we can hear from JWR. That's it. We just need to know what happened because it appears to have been at least unethical and at worst illegal.

Peter Samson
Peter Samson
@Aaron Morris Yeah, the more they talk about how wonderful Butts was the less sense his "I didn't want to be a distraction" defense makes. How was he a distraction? We have no details about the alleged event so him falling on his sword seems unusual.

Phil Mein
Phil Mein
@Richard Sharp Fair enough Richard but how MUCH evidence would it REALLY take for you to openly admit "wrong doing" in the PMO? If we had video of Justin openly committing a crime you'd be sceptical

Phil Mein
Phil Mein
@Troy Mann "What questions do you want answered?"

Ahahaha , oh please!

André Carrel
André Carrel
@William Knot
Some media (and some commentators) love stories offering few facts.
Such stories offer unlimited opportunities to speculate, to postulate, to surmise.
Waiting for facts takes the fun out of politics.

Matt Thuaii
Matt Thuaii
@Peter Samson

It appears there’s a large block of Canadians who suffer from willful blindness. They don’t see anything any Conservative, right winger does, but do see everything the Liberal right wingers do. They don’t know the difference between right or left wing, and they don’t know about anything that happened more than 3 and 1/2 year ago...it could be some kind of time vortex...to find out...

...tune in for another spine tingling episode of Unsolved Mysteries!

Jennie Adkins
Jennie Adkins
@William Knot

What is the very definition of a smear campaign? By politicians?

Being able to pose endless questions. By using endless totally unfounded innuendo and speculation. Based on NO facts at all.

With the aim of leaving the "pay little attention" voters with a vague impression that some "crime" was committed. When NONE was committed.

Canadians wake up to this complete Conservative charade.

Peter Samson
Peter Samson
@Troy Mann "What questions do you want answered?"

I'd like to know the discussions around shoving DPAs through. I'd like to know what discussions Trudeau had with JWR around SNC. I'd like to know what Mr Butts did that required his retirement. There are a lot of legitimate questions about this whole shady affair.

Peter Samson
Peter Samson
@Matt Thuaii Just to be clear Matt because I don't want to mischaracterize your argument, your saying there's no problem here because the Conservatives do it too? Am I getting that right? It's okay if Trudeau illegally pressured the AG to intervene in an active court case because "everybody does it"? The irony that you would make such a terrible argument and preface it with an accusation of political partisanship is an impressive lack of self awareness.



David Amos
David Amos
@Peter Samson Trust that Troy Mann knows that Gerald Butts, Andrew Scheer and everyone else who sits in opposition know that Jody Wilson-Raybould may have lost her mandate as Justice Minister because of her failings in Federal Court and the Federal Court of Appeal within my lawsuit against the Crown that was filed when Harper was the Prime Minister and Mr Scheer was the Speaker. Need I say that it irritated me big time when Jody appointed her Deputy Minister to the bench of Federal Court not long after I argued their minions in the Federal Court of Appeal?

Methinks anyone can check my work by simply Googling two names "Jody Wilson-Raybould David Raymond Amos" N'esy Pas?

David Amos
David Amos 
@Peter Samson Methinks Matt Thuaii knows that truth is stranger than fiction and anyone can easily Google "David Amos Federal Court file No." in order to sort out the truth from fiction for themselves. Its blatantly obvious that Mr Trudeau had a duty to talk to Harper's Minister of justice and Peter MacKay and had them pay particular attention to info found within statement 83 of my lawsuit long before the election in October of 2015

Everybody knows why I am about to put the aforementioned matter before the Supreme Court and file several more lawsuits in the Federal Court against the RCMP and the CRA etc and also run for a seat in Parliament again N'esy Pas?









Troy Mann
Ralph Kramden
We'll see how "independent" Trudeau's independent Senators are?


Troy Mann
Troy Mann
@Ralph Kramden

The Senate is weak and Andy looking to them shows he is weak leader

David Amos
David Amos
@Ralph Kramden YUP

david mccaig
david mccaig
@Ralph Kramden

"We'll see how "independent" Trudeau's independent Senators are?"

Certainly more open than any part of Stephen Harper's 9 years in government.

david mccaig
david mccaig
@Ralph Kramden

Everyday the CBC operates this blog site , almost all of the top comments are disproportionate attacks on our Prime Minister, even though a majority of Canadians put Justin Trudeau in power, how does this represent reality.

Karen King
Karen King
@Ralph Kramden
funny alias you got there, did you ask Ralph first?
david mccaig
david mccaig
@david mccaig

obviously it is offensive to question authority in cider space

david mccaig
david mccaig
@david mccaig

obviously it is offensive to question authority in cyberspace

david mccaig
david mccaig
@david mccaig

fully expect any criticisms of the cbc blog site seeing the light of day for a a brief moment , will like in the past suddenly disappear.

David Amos
David Amos
@Karen King "funny alias you got there, did you ask Ralph first?"

Mais Oui

Richard Sharp
Richard Sharp
@Troy Mann

Scheer is wandering around looking for more screaming headlines. He, Cullen and the rest have issued and re-issued literally thousands of still unsubstantiated smears, and the corporate media pile on.

It’s a disgrace and it exposes the media for what it is. In the 2011, for example 49 of the top English newspapers endorsed Harper. Almost as many in 2015, that time on their FRONT page. Freedom of the press for those who own them and there is no doubt who they back.

Neil Turv
Neil Turv
@Richard Sharp

Terrifying for you when the world doesn't share 100% of your opinions isn't it?

Chretien had a similarly high level of endorsements from the Canadian media for his three terms, were you outraged then as well?

Your party and leader of choice is subject to just as much valid and sensational criticism as his predecessor, and the guy after Trudeau, no matter which party they belong to will suffer the same.

This will be hard for you to hear:
- There's no conspiracy by the Cons, NDP or media, sometimes their opinions or views are different than ouyrs or the Liberal party.
- What's happening to JT isn't unique or overblown,
- Your partisan attacks against Harper and Scheer are of the same tone and quality as many of the attacks on JT, and no, it's not different when you do it.
- Finally, you and your opinions are not infallible.

Phil Mein
Phil Mein
@Neil Turv Can you hear Richard singing "La la la la la" ?

Jennie Adkins
Jennie Adkins
@Neil Turv

It's a smear campaign based on NO facts at all. Endless unfounded innuendo and empty speculation.

The "law and order", thus "innocent until guilty" Conservatives should be ashamed of themselves.

Jennie Adkins
Jennie Adkins
@Jennie Adkins

And unfortunately Harper allowed a US hedge fund to asset strip Canada's real journalism, so the story is NOT getting the rigour it needs to reveal the Conservative smear campaign.

Neil Turv
Neil Turv
@Jennie Adkins

If you don't thionk anonymous sources have been important contributors to these types of scandals in the past I seriously wonder if this particular incident is the first time you've ever read a news story in your life.

Anonymous sources have been the cornerstone of whistleblowing since before Watergate.

I'm not saying Trudeau is guilty, you are correct in that there are very little facts available. Personally, the sequence of events and what we do know means I'd place my betting money on a particular side if it came down to that.

What I am saying is what is happening right now is not a unique scenario and every modern PM (and most POTUS's) I can think of went through a very similar situation at least once during their term.

It's not partisan smearing, it's not a Conservative conspiracy, it's a very reputable newspaper protecting a source, like any newspaper should do.

Peter Samson
Peter Samson
@Ralph Kramden "We'll see how "independent" Trudeau's independent Senators are?"

Narrator - "They are not at all independent"

David Amos
David Amos
@Peter Samson Methinks everybody knows why I always run for public office as an Independent (Six Times thus far) N'esy Pas?










Peter Samson
John Been
She met with Trudeau yesterday, and now it's announced she will be a witness.

I think she cut a deal. She won't say anything.


Maxim Verite
Maxim Verite
@John Been

There's no question of that. All the more reason we need an RCMP investigation, not a Liberal-lead house inquiry.
Charles Ward
Charles Ward
@Maxim Verite To meet that requirement requires a criminal action. And Andrew backed himself in the corner on this one.

A few weeks back people clamored for the PM to intervene in Huweii. Then a week later cried foul on rumors he may have made a request for SNC. 

And then you have Andrew meeting with SNC a year ago to try and avoid criminal action.

The enquiry here is not if the PM asked, as that is allowed. The judicial system does not need to comply but the ask although not favorable. Is not an ethics issue.

If the ask was for personal gain that is the issue, and what is under investigation. Its a fine line, that has now been muddied by a flip flipping Scheer.


John Been
John Been
@Charles Ward

Personal gain is not the issue.

Political interference in the justice system is the issue.

Artie Gibson
Artie Gibson
@John Been

Top 10, thanks Johnny, responses to questions by Liberal committee members posed to Miss Wilson-Raybould >>

1) My name is Jody Wilson-Raybould.

2) I don't recall that.

3) I refuse to answer that on the advice of my government paid, $5,000? an hour, lawyer.

4) The devil made me do it?

5) Gerald who?

6) I would never break the law.

7) I knnowww Nutthhing.

8) I was unaware that SNC-Lavalin was a corrupt organization.

9) No sir, I was not offered a seat on SNC-Lavalin's... 

mia stalling
mia stalling
@John Been
Ah the cons and their conspiracy theories..........more innuendoes and no proof........love it, the more they open their mouths the more we disbelieve them, keep it up harperites

Jack Cochrane
Jack Cochrane
@mia stalling go to the front page of the Buffalo Chronicle then. It’s all there.

James Holden
James Holden
@Jack Cochrane

There's a lot of nothing there at the Buffalo Chronicle
Other than a suggestion that the NDP are trying to recruit JWR to repplace Singh as leader.

Bill MacLean
Bill MacLean
@John Been My feeling?....JWR regretted quitting cabinet....wants to run again....and is making nice with the PM. At least, she thinks, she didn't say anything against him in public. This may just be a "lover's tiff" (she looked pretty smitten when he appointed her)

harry richard
harry richard
@John Been ... that would be a shame

Richard Sharp
Richard Sharp
@John Been

Another day, another smear.

Troy Mann
Troy Mann
@John Been "
I think she cut a deal"

What kind of deal can they offer?

Nothing

These false accusations need to stop

david mccaig
david mccaig
@Richard Sharp

"Another day, another smear."

Richard Sharp, a short concise and accurate statement

David Amos
David Amos
@John Been "I think she cut a deal. She won't say anything."

Methinks it would not be wise to bet the farm on your opinion for rather obvious reasons N'esy Pas?

Phil Mein
Phil Mein
@Troy Mann "These false accusations need to stop"

But I thought Harper turned you into a newt?







Troy Mann
Ian Anderson
The article is attempting to narrow the story and promote the Liberal defense strategy. There are enough facts out there to confirm that this is more than a "whiff" of scandal. The fact that Butts resigned is clear evidence of that. This is also a clear indicator that there are more facts to emerge.
Additional facts include the history of Liberal awards to SNC of major infrastructure projects in Quebec. Likewise the importance of Quebec to the Liberals in the next election given the Liberal problems in the West. Along with Liberal history (all facts) of the Sponsorship Scandal that dogged the Liberals in Quebec in their last period in power.


Jack Cochrane
Jack Cochrane
@Ian Anderson go to the front page of the Buffalo Chronicle, there’s a lot more facts there.

Richard Jay
Richard Jay
@Ian Anderson

"The article is attempting to narrow the story and promote the Liberal defense strategy. There are enough facts out there to confirm that this is more than a "whiff" of scandal. "

You are correct. If this was anyone on the right CBC would be reporting them as guilty. Like Brett Kavanaugh sexual misconduct allegations in the US that dated back to his high school and college years decades ago. That was enough proof for CBC (and most media outlets) to report him as guilty.

Perry Best
Perry Best
@Jack Cochrane "front page of the Buffalo Chronicle"

Wow! If these bits of info are correct, the election will be turned upside down!!

Guy Stone
Guy Stone
@Ian Anderson i predict CBC is negotiating now with the Liberals on this story versus their budget for 2020 if Trudeau can get reelected by CBC

Troy Mann
Troy Mann
@Ian Anderson " There are enough facts out there to confirm that this is more than a "whiff" of scandal"

Name one

David Amos
David Amos
@Ian Anderson "The article is attempting to narrow the story and promote the Liberal defense strategy."

YUP

Klaus Offermann
Klaus Offermann 
@Ian Anderson Exactly.

If the CBC were doing it's job, by now Canadians would have a visual outline of the history of all past and CURRENT SNC corruption/bribe crimes, the executives and corporations involved, in which countries and to the tune of how many millions.

It would also have produced a visual outline of the history and SNC characters involved in lobbying which PMO individuals, the PM, Cabinet Members and which politicians, for what purpose and when.

The CBC would have visually correlated any meetings of the PMO, Cabinet and the Attorney General that happened subsequent to any SNC lobbying above.

Further it would have produced a parallel visual outline of the history of the illegal donations to whom, how much, when, and explained why they were illegal. It would also outlined any legal donations by SNC to whom when etc.

The CBC would have linked the "fact" that during this period of SNC lobbying and donating, Canada's enforcement of it's anti corruption and bribery laws has declined so dramatically - from "moderate" to "limited", effectively almost useless - that it has been graphically highlighted in the 2018 report by >Transparency International<.

All of this likely would only have been the beginning of the kind of investigative journalism the CBC is capable of when it wants to. "Few Facts"? Give me a break










William Ben
William Ben
Why can’t the LPC just be open and transparent on this? Otherwise the Lock him up chant is going to last right up to his departure in October 2019


James Holden
James Holden
@William Ben

Conservatives have a habit of convicting without any actual facts.
Except when it's them in the spotlight. Then it's " let justice take it's course".

John Chow
John Chow
@William Ben

For a group of people who claim there is nothing to see here, there seems to be a rather blatant, and intentional, effort to keep the curtain down.

Jack O Hill
Jack O Hill
@James Holden

"Conservatives have a habit of convicting without any actual facts. "

Like the Liberals with Duffy?

David Amos
David Amos
@William Ben "Why can’t the LPC just be open and transparent on this?"

Methinks Its not rocket science but merely political science 101 N'esy Pas?










Buford Wilson
Buford Wilson
This matter cries out for an independent inquiry.

It makes the AdScam seem like a walk in the park.


Neil Gregory
Neil Gregory
@Buford Wilson

Be careful what you wish for, Buford. An independent inquiry just might turn up a few financial connections that the right-wing Conservative Party of Canada would rather be keep a secret.

Ralph Kramden
Ralph Kramden
@Neil Gregory That's ok, this country needs to root out the rampant corruption that exists.

Jack Cochrane
Jack Cochrane
@Neil Gregory actually it’s the Liberal government complicit with the Bank of Montreal but nice try. It’s all going to come out eventually.

James Holden
James Holden
@Ralph Kramden

We did that in 2015.
Threw them out of office.

David Amos
Content disabled.
David Amos
@Buford Wilson "This matter cries out for an independent inquiry. "

Methinks if your wish comes true Harper 2.0 would be Happy Happy Happy N'esy Pas?

David Amos
David Amos
@Neil Gregory YUP









Frank Goodwood
Frank Goodwood
Liberals are working overtime on a spin strategy.


Dawn MacNeill
Dawn MacNeill
@Frank Goodwood They need to because all that oil money behind the slagging is hard to come up against.

Ralph Kramden
Ralph Kramden
@Dawn MacNeill You can always send it back, we're tired of sending it east, so do send it back.

Dawn MacNeill
Dawn MacNeill
@Ralph Kramden What a laugh.

Dawn MacNeill
Dawn MacNeill
@Ralph Kramden By the way how's that 43 years of Con(oil) rule doing for Alberta. Any money in the bank? Oh yeah you've got lots of golf courses (thanks Ralph Klein) but he forgot to save the water.

Ralph Kramden
Ralph Kramden
@Dawn MacNeill It's still good enough that we have to send $20B of free money to Ottawa each year so zero's like Trudeau can buy votes in the east.

Douglas Fowler
Douglas Fowler
@Dawn MacNeill Is that oil money coming from Big Oil in NF and Labrador?

Douglas Fowler
Douglas Fowler
@Dawn MacNeill $18 billion in the Heritage Trust Fund!

David Amos
Content disabled.
David Amos
@Frank Goodwood "Liberals are working overtime on a spin strategy."

Methinks the comment threads prove that to be a fact N'esy Pas?

David Amos
David Amos
@Frank Goodwood YUP

Tony Walters
Tony Walters
@Frank Goodwood Actuallym, it looks like the Conservatives have hired many extras and are working overtime right here.

Phil Mein
Phil Mein
@Frank Goodwood One of JT's fans on here put in an 11 hour day yesterday !! Hysterical !












Phil Mein 
Gerry Gibson
The reality is Liberals see things that don't exist, fabricate it when they can't find it, and ignore it within their own ranks.


James Holden
James Holden
@Gerry Gibson

Conservative projection.

Jack O Hill
Jack O Hill
@James Holden

"The reality is Liberals see things that don't exist, fabricate it when they can't find it, and ignore it within their own ranks."

Unfortunately, that is true of almost all of our parties, federal and provincial.

David Amos
David Amos
@Jack O Hill Oh So True











Joseph Cluster
Joseph Cluster
When a ship starts sinking a few just know its time to jump off to save themselves. Damage control only works when there's a gaff (there has been a few). When something of this magnitude is brewing there's little they will be able to do to save it from sinking.


Elma Fayerrly
Elma Fayerrly
@Joseph Cluster Latest poll, Liberals 38% Cons. 32%. Where is the sinking ship?

John West
John West
@Elma Fayerrly Which poll are you looking at.

Wally Brassard
Wally Brassard
@Elma Fayerrly. you forgot the PPC potentially coming in @ 30%. zero support for NDP

Elma Fayerrly
Elma Fayerrly
@John West Nanos.

Elma Fayerrly
Elma Fayerrly
@Wally Brassard That would leave Andy at 2%.

Rob Burr
Rob Burr
@Elma Fayerrly Do you have a link to the Nanaos Poll as it is quite a bit different than the Ipsos poll conducted for Global News below:

https://globalnews.ca/news/4973581/trudeau-government-leaks-support-snc-lavalin-wilson-raybould-poll/

William Knot
William Knot
@Elma Fayerrly Fake news, Elma reference links below. Ouch!

James Holden
James Holden
@Joseph Cluster

Link to nothing

Jay michael
Jay michael
@Elma Fayerrly That's fine. With a minority they'll have little to no power.

mo bennett
mo bennett
@Joseph Cluster loose lips, sink ships.

David Amos
David Amos
@mo bennett YUP











James Holden 
Richard Dekkar
Clearly something serious is happening. 3 senior party people don’t resign for no reason.

Only Trudeau can remove the gag. If the party has nothing to hide then he must. The only inescapable alternative is that this is just the tip of the iceberg.


Brett Hol
Brett Hol
@Richard Dekkar
Exactly. You don’t resign because you are doing an awesome job. Come on people wake up!

John Britt
John Britt
@Brett Hol You can, in fact, be doing an awesome job but be so incensed with the direction the organization you belong to is going in, you feel you have no other option, on a personal ethics basis, other than to resign.

John Britt
John Britt
@Brett Hol Actually, I believe I may have misread/misinterpreted your comment. I believe we may possibly be saying or suggesting the same thing,

David Amos
David Amos
@Brett Hol "You don’t resign because you are doing an awesome job. Come on people wake up!"

Methinks a lot of folks have N'esy Pas?




The SNC-Lavalin scandal so far: plenty of drama, few facts

Can we count on Jody Wilson-Raybould to shed a little light?


Jody Wilson-Raybould, former Canadian justice minister, walks on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ont., on Feb. 19, 2019. (Chris Wattie/Reuters)

In official Ottawa, some weeks feel longer than others. This one scarcely got started before the SNC-Lavalin affair exploded — again — leaving more questions than answers. And it's only Wednesday.

First, Gerry Butts stunned everyone Monday by abruptly resigning as the prime minister's top adviser — even as he insisted that neither he nor anyone else in Justin Trudeau's office sought to pressure former attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould to stop the criminal prosecution of SNC-Lavalin.

A day later, Wilson-Raybould sent jaws dropping everywhere when she emerged from a meeting of Trudeau's cabinet — the same inner circle she quit just last week. She was there for a few hours at her own request, the prime minister said.




Not even the din generated by a convoy of several hundred pro-pipeline supporters blaring truck horns on Parliament Hill yesterday could drown out the sound of reporters demanding to know why Wilson-Raybould met with the cabinet she'd just spurned, and what she said to her former colleagues.
And it's not over yet. Today, Wilson-Raybould is expected to attend the regular Liberal caucus meeting. Her reception there may not be as warm as she'd like, given her role in a consuming political drama that seems to be settling in for an extended run in the nation's capital.

Everybody wants answers


Her caucus colleagues no doubt will want to know what she told cabinet Tuesday. If she falls back on her statement that she's still bound by solicitor-client privilege and cabinet confidentiality, Liberal MPs will still want to know whether she felt pressured, directed or nudged by anyone in the Prime Minister's Office to give SNC-Lavalin the option of paying a fine in lieu of going to trial on fraud and corruption charges.

Watch: SNC-Lavalin affair timeline key to claims of PMO pressure on Jody Wilson-Raybould



The National
SNC-Lavalin affair timeline key to claims of PMO pressure on Jody Wilson-Raybould

 In the SNC-Lavalin affair, one of the key questions remaining is who exactly said what to then-Attorney General Jody Wilson-Raybould, and did it amount to pressure to treat the company lightly. 3:26

The MPs on the Commons justice committee would like to hear her answer that question as well. They voted Tuesday to add Wilson-Raybould to their witness list after the Liberals — who had refused to put her name forward last week — relented Tuesday.

Other MPs spent much of Tuesday in the Commons debating an NDP motion demanding two things: that Trudeau waive solicitor-client privilege to allow Wilson-Raybould to tell her side of the story publicly, and that he agree to an independent public inquiry similar to the one led by Justice John Gomery on the Quebec sponsorship scandal.

The first of those demands is probably the less important one. Just about everyone, in government and out, expects Wilson-Raybould to speak. It's why she hired a former Supreme Court justice for legal advice. It's why Butts abruptly departed, even as he denied the allegations again.
"My reputation is my responsibility and that is for me to defend," Butts wrote. "It is in the best interests of the office and its important work for me to step away."

Fair enough. That's not going to convince the opposition to abandon its demand for an independent accounting of conversations in government circles last fall — when SNC-Lavalin was lobbying just about everybody who's anybody for a 'deferred prosecution agreement', a new legal tool introduced by the Liberals in a budget bill approved last June.

Charlie Angus, who sponsored Tuesday's motion, said a public inquiry would provide the "transparency and accountability promised by the Liberals in the 2015 election campaign."

Perhaps anticipating the Liberals defeating his motion this afternoon, Angus offered his own, highly-partisan version of the events that make up the SNC-Lavalin affair — a theory to explain why the government might be eager to cut a deal with the Montreal-based construction giant.

'Corruption and cronyism'


"It was about the government and this prime minister's insider relationships," he said as he opened debate in the Commons. "There is nothing more negative for public life than corruption and cronyism."
The Conservatives are just as eager to convince Canadians there's a cover-up here.

"The way in which this story has unfolded, with almost daily changes to the prime minister's version of the events, with high-profile resignations, with anonymously-sourced smear campaigns … suggests this is not an ordinary political scandal," Conservative Party Leader Andrew Scheer told the Commons.

Liberal MP Jody Wilson-Raybould leads a convoy of reporters away from the Parliament buildings after making a surprise appearance at a cabinet meeting Tuesday, February 19, 2019. (Adrian Wyld/THE CANADIAN PRESS)
"Something more sinister is at play here," Scheer added, alleging what he called a "deliberate attempt to obstruct justice" by unnamed people in the PMO.

Who are these people (allegedly)? It's a mystery. Who were the sources behind the leak that led to the original Globe and Mail report nearly two weeks ago? Also a mystery.

But this is an election year, and this story carries the whiff of scandal from the highest reaches of the Trudeau government. So the opposition is taking it all as gospel — no matter how the allegation first came to light, no matter who the source or sources might be, no matter what their motivation was for leaking to the media.

The prime minister looked almost weary as he rose to his feet in the Commons Tuesday to take even more questions. But after days of offering vague answers that only spawned more questions, Trudeau offered no new information yesterday on why Butts resigned.

There was no big reveal about why he agreed to let Wilson-Raybould appear before cabinet as a former minister. No suggestion that he would agree to waive solicitor-client privilege before he gets a legal opinion from the man who replaced her as attorney general. No answers. Not yet.

And it's only Wednesday. Brace yourselves.

Watch: Wilson Raybould speaks to CBC News at she leaves Question Period




Politics News
Wilson Raybould speaks to CBC News at she leaves Question Period

 Jody Wilson-Raybould leaves Question Period and is asked questions by the CBC's Chris Rands 2:39

About the Author

 


Chris Hall
National Affairs Editor
Chris Hall is the CBC's National Affairs Editor and host of The House on CBC Radio, based in the Parliamentary Bureau in Ottawa. He began his reporting career with the Ottawa Citizen, before moving to CBC Radio in 1992, where he worked as a national radio reporter in Toronto, Halifax and St. John's. He returned to Ottawa and the Hill in 1998.















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