Beneath the rubble heap of testimony, rebuttal, analysis and bare-faced fibs and spin, the SNC-Lavalin scandal comes down to a series of events: Canada’s attorney-general, Jody Wilson-Raybould, was shuffled out of the justice portfolio after she refused, under intense pressure, to change her mind about prosecuting the Liberal-friendly Quebec company on criminal charges. She was replaced by a Montreal lawyer who has said a deferred prosecution agreement could still be on the table.
That’s the story as Wilson-Raybould tells it and it’s a far more believable cause-and-effect explanation for her demotion and resignation than former principal secretary to the PM Gerald Butts’ outlandish claim Wednesday – that Wilson-Raybould was shuffled out of justice because she declined to be shuffled out of justice.
However, even if Wilson-Raybould’s version is taken at face value, that does not mean she is in the right. Yes, some view her as a heroic figure who stood tall for the rule of law and prosecutorial independence in the face of relentless browbeating. But others see her as an impudent minister who thought she could defy her boss and ignore genuine concerns about job losses and the party’s electoral fortunes. Former Treasury Board president Jane Philpott, who resigned from cabinet Monday, obviously holds the first view, while Sheila Copps, who served in the Liberal cabinet of Jean Chrétien, leans toward the second. Talking to CBC this week, Copps said both Wilson-Raybould and Philpott lack political experience, “are doing their best to destroy their leader” and should be booted from caucus.
What’s interesting is that neither woman has been booted from caucus or has quit the Liberal party. Both say they will run for re-election as Liberals. If this flap can be contained as an internal family quarrel among Liberals, it could have minimal effect on the Liberal vote in October and might even give them a boost. If the most credible opposition to Justin Trudeau is within the Liberal party itself, what’s not to vote for?
We saw a foreshadowing of this new “bigger tent” Liberal vision in a Monday tweet by Burnaby-North Seymour MP Terry Beech. Philpott, Wilson-Raybould and Trudeau, he said, “are the leaders Canada needs to fight climate change, move forward on indigenous reconciliation, and ensure every Canadian has a fair and real chance at success. It is my sincere hope differences can be resolved.”
That sentiment didn’t sit well with NDP warhorse Svend Robinson, a candidate in Beech’s riding. “Where does he stand?” Robinson asked. “You can’t be both supporting Jane Philpott and Jody Wilson-Raybould on the one hand, and supporting Justin Trudeau on the other. That’s completely not reconcilable.”
Don’t count on it, Svend. These are Liberals – remember?
