Rivers: Is Trudeau in Trouble - Or is This Just Fake News?

 

Rivers 100x100By Ray Rivers

February 23RD, 2019

BURLINGTON, ON

It is bizarre that it has got this far and has gone on for this long.

Recognized as Canada’s national newspaper, though only second by circulation, the highly respected Globe and Mail has created a political scandal out of apparently thin air. The paper has relied on unsupported allegations to make its case that there has been political interference in the administration of federal legal proceedings against SNC Lavalin.

Raybould + PM

The good days when the Prime Minister appointed Jody Wilson Raybould Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

It may have been only a couple of weeks since the Globe’s story hit the pavement but somebody needs to start tallying up the costs for this story, which has grown a lot of legs but no teeth. Already the former Attorney General, Jody Wilson-Raybould and the PM’s Principal Secretary, Gerald Butts, have both resigned. The Commons Justice Committee has had to start special hearings and the Ethics Commissioner has been called in. Lavalin has suffered its first financial loss in six years and its shares are plummeting.

Then there is all the ink that has been spilled over what more and more appears to be the Globe’s non-story. The PM has been consistent. He said the Globe was wrong on day one. Then he followed up emphatically stating that neither he nor his office gave the former AG or her staff direction on the file – in fact reiterating that he had instructed her that the decision to intercede on SNC was hers and hers alone.

The Clerk of the Privy Council, the most senior bureaucrat in Ottawa has identified three critical meetings, where Wilson-Raybould might have felt there had been pressure, including one with him, one between Butts and her senior assistant, and one she had had with the PM back in September, which started out as a meeting on the indigenous file.

Lyndon pressure

President knew how to apply pressure to the members of Congress.

Now the Globe has modified their story from allegations of political interference to somebody pressuring the AG. Pressure? What else does one expect in political life but pressure? Going for that nomination, running an election campaign, debating other candidates, being on call by constituents once elected, standing up in the House, attacking and being attacked. I’m sorry but if you can’t stand the heat get out of the kitchen.

In the matter of SNC, Canadians should expect that our politicians would look long and hard at options to, essentially, putting a Canadian icon, Lavalin, out of business for something a handful of former executives did almost two decades ago, in a land so far away and as corrupt as Libya. Imagine the pressure the over 8,000 Canadian SNC employees will feel if their company shuts down or is sold to a foreign entity, as had happened with Alcan and Rona.

Of course Lavalin might win its court case. But is the cost of prosecuting worth it, when a modern legal disciplinary alternative to lengthy and costly trials for these kinds of white collar crimes exists?

The elected government makes the laws and the prosecutor applies them, but even in TV’s Law and Order there is ample discussion among the parties about the best way to prosecute, and when to accept plea bargains.

Raybould + pm after demotion

She was no longer the Minister of Justice.

The former AG is set to address the Justice Committee early this coming week so we might finally all understand what she means by pressure – assuming those are her words. But even if she felt there was pressure and that others were being insensitive – it obviously wasn’t the pressure that forced her to resign. She resigned well after being shuffled out of the AG’s office.

What goes on in the PM’s Cabinet room is top secret and Cabinet solidarity is at the heart of our governance system. Breaking confidentiality has serious consequences as two federal officials are finding out for allegedly leaking details on shipbuilding contracts. So where did the Globe and Mail get their information? And if it was from the former AG, or anyone Wilson-Raybould had communicated with, wouldn’t that make a mockery of her current protestations about attorney-client privilege?

The PM has told us that he shuffled Jody Wilson-Raybould out of the AG’s office for a number of reasons. Wilson-Raybould understood that being minister of aboriginal affairs would have been an inappropriate appointment for her, given her background. But there are also a number of legal issues coming forward which affect the indigenous communities, including self-government, first nations reconciliation and the Trans Mountain pipeline. Any one of these might find her in a potential conflict of interest situation as Canada’s AG.

printing press

Are newspapers in place to make news as well as report it?

The role of newspapers is typically to report the news, not to make it. The Globe has decided on the latter in this case. Perhaps the Globe’s editors were just trying to liven up or balance out the federal political scene. Perhaps they wanted to sell more papers. Or perhaps they were hoping to influence the outcome of the next election with a story replete with unsupported innuendo.

Unless the former AG reveals something earth-shattering with her testimony at the Justice Committee, this will be a sad mark on the pages of the Globe. Trudeau has clearly been affected by all the commotion, losing his friend and chief organizer Butts in the process. Trudeau came to office embracing feminism and an obligation to lift Canada’s indigenous people beyond their current state.

In Jody Wilson-Raybould he, no doubt, saw the embodiment of that ambition. He recruited her, brought her into federal politics, and placed her in one of the most senior appointments in his cabinet. It is no wonder that he seems hurt and unhappy.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau takes a selfie as he greets the crowd outside Rideau Hall after being sworn in as Canada's 23rd Prime Minister in Ottawa, Ontario, November 4, 2015. AFP PHOTO/ GEOFF ROBINS (Photo credit should read GEOFF ROBINS/AFP/Getty Images)

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau takes a selfie.

The PM is responsible for appointing and shuffling cabinet ministers at his discretion, and they serve at his pleasure. Trudeau has delegated more authority to his ministers than any PM since his father. That he would be accused of overriding, directing, influencing or pressuring a minister of his Cabinet, and the Attorney General in particular, must indeed be a bitter pill for him to swallow.

And with all the accusations by the G&M, opposition calls to bring in the RCMP, pundits demanding the PM resign, is there little wonder that the smile has departed from even this PM’s face. So anyone wanting a selfie might want to keep that thought until the Globe and Mail prints a retraction of the story.

Rivers hand to faceRay Rivers writes weekly on both federal and provincial politics, applying his more than 25 years as a federal bureaucrat to his thinking.  Rivers was a candidate for provincial office in Burlington where he ran against Cam Jackson in 1995, the year Mike Harris and the Common Sense Revolution swept the province. He developed the current policy process for the Ontario Liberal Party.

Background links:

Justice Committee Analysis –     PM’s Discretion

Wilson- Raybould –     More Reasons Why –    SNC Legal Options

Shawcross Rule –    Wilson-Raybould Future –   

Understanding Jody –     Butts

Indigenous Issues –    Cabinet Secrets

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16 comments to Rivers: Is Trudeau in Trouble – Or is This Just Fake News?

  • Mike

    Seems JT is behaving as before…..do as I tell you not as I do. How quickly we forget him preaching to the Chinese authorities that Canada is a country that has the “rule of law” and so he cannot interfere with the courts. What do you think their perception is now of JT and the Canadian government? Probably about the same as mine.

  • Brian R.

    Ray, you’re sounding like the Donald Trump now. “There was no Collusion, and even if there was, it’s no big deal!”

    There are a few very basic things for people to know.

    1. Bribery and Fraud by Canadian Corporations is illegal, Federally and in Quebec.
    2. SNC has been accused of bribery on many occasions on both domestic and international projects. This is widely acknowledged and has led to resignations and criminal charges.
    3. SNC Illegally contributed over $100,000 to the Liberal Party of Canada between 2004-2011.
    4. The Liberal government changed the law and snuck in the Deferred Prosecution Agreement into an Omnibus bill (something they promised they wouldn’t do because they were committed to Transparency).
    5. Jody Wilson Raybould was clearly pressured to recommend a DPA on more than one occasion by the PMO (they say she was never ‘directed’ to do it, but they’re playing with words, and they won’t waive Attorney-Client privilege to allow her to speak about it)
    6. JWR chose not to recommend a DPA
    7. JWR was demoted (they are saying shuffled, but the move from AG to Veteran’s Affairs is clearly a demotion.
    8. Trudeau when asked if something improper went on, said ‘Her Presence in Cabinet speaks for itself’
    9. She resigns, now longer having a ‘Presence in Cabinet’.
    10. Gerald Butts, Trudeau’s closest adviser, longest friend, and importantly, senior member of the PMO involved in most high level meetings, including these, resigns. Says nothing was improper but he’s going to resign anyway?
    11. Campaign to discredit JWR as ‘difficult’ or ‘not up to the job’ continues in earnest.
    12. Ray Rivers suggests ‘don’t worry, none of the above matters, the Globe is just making stuff up’.

    As a side note, for a Prime Minister that is a Feminist he sure refers to her as ‘Jody’ a lot. He never refers to his other Ministers by their first name.

    I know you’re massively tied to the Liberal Party, Ray, but you have to admit when you follow the money and the facts, things look really wrong here.

  • Susan L.

    It looks like the next election may be about what story you believe. Was Jody Wilson-Raybould moved to Veteran Affairs because she wouldn’t do as she was told?

    I believe if the truth were to come out, it and could be proved beyond any doubt, it wouldn’t change things very much. Many people, once they choose a side, will not change their mind no matter what. (I’m looking at what’s happening in the U.S. If it doesn’t agree with your opinion, it’s either Fake News, or a conspiracy.)

    I was hoping this election would be based on each Party’s platform.

    • Philip Waggett

      Credibility will be a huge issue in the October election. Trudeau promised “open and transparent goverment”; in both this case and in the Norman case, Trudeau has been anything but open and transparent. Of course, Trudeau has failed to keep the majority of the things that he promised during the 2015 election. These failures as well as a clear lack of personal integrity will be at the forefront of this year’s election.

  • This issue has gone on this far for this long because of the Liberals resistance to transparency and full disclosure, and it will continue to be major news until Canadians are satisfied that both have occurred. The Globe and Mail is recognized as a national newspaper for a reason; good reporting that will lead to the allegations either being substantiated or not. It is the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and SNC-Lavalin who share the blame for creating and perpetuating this “issue”, the Globe, and other members of the media, are simply doing their job by bringing it to our attention.

    Blaming the Globe for your ‘tally of cost’s’ is misdirected and is indicative that there just might actually be ‘teeth’ to the story. It is hard to believe that the ‘cost’ of Mr. Butts resignation occurred because of a “fake” news story. As a long-term friend, the very adept architect of his successful election campaign, and THE key advisor to Mr. Trudeau, why would Mr. Butts quickly resign based on something that did not happen? As well, since the rationale behind having a Commons Justice Committee and Ethics Commissioner is exactly to review this type of situation, we should welcome the assumption of any ‘costs’ that they incur in fulfilling their rightful responsibilities. Finally, Lavalin’s loss (costs) is because of THEIR actions, and their alleged involvement with the PMO, not the Globe’s reporting of what they did.

    The role of the press IS to spill ‘costly’ ink, and the public’s role is to evaluate what they tell us. The Liberal Party has actively tried to tell the public NOTHING with the hope that we will see this as a non-issue that will go away. The mainstream media, not just the Globe, is not allowing that to happen, and based on the traction to date, only someone with a Liberal bias would believe that this is a ‘non-story’ that should be ignored. Of course Mr. Trudeau has consistently denied that anything happened, what else would you expect? But if nothing wrong happened, full disclosure from the PMO and the Liberal Party from the outset would have certainly reduced the ‘costly ink flow’. And even if the allegations prove to be false, at best, both the PMO’s office and the Liberal Party will be viewed as incompetent in how they have handled the whole affair. I really don’t believe that the blame here rests with the Globe / media.

    You are missing the point of how ‘pressure’ was applied. This issue is not about general pressure in people’s daily work, it’s about whether someone was ILLEGALLY pressuring the Attorney General’s Office to take a specific action. It was Mr. Trudeau, not the Globe / media, who modified the story when he, obviously under legal advice, repeatedly stated that he did not ‘direct’ the Attorney general. This is how the terminology shifted from ‘directed’ to ‘pressured’ and, however defined, the possibility of potential illegal influence needs to be explored.

    In the matter of SNC- Lavalin, and any other organization, our politicians should have NOTHING to do with their survival or success. Canadian icon, major employer, whatever, Lavalin’s fate is the responsibility of Lavalin’s management. What you are suggesting is that we should support improper and unethical actions by turning a blind eye to intentional white-collar crime and, based on what happens on television, avoid costly trials by regularly offering plea bargains. If we were to stoop to this level, what will differentiate us from lands “so far away and as corrupt as Libya”. If the over 8,000 Canadian SNC employees feel ‘pressure’, due to the actions of their senior managers, they should proactively move to one of the numerous other Canadian Engineering firms that operate within a more ethical and desirable culture. Make no mistake, this is about votes. IF the PMO did intend to help Lavalin it was because of payback for political contributions, protecting Quebec public sector pensions (Lavalin shareholders), and keeping jobs in order to secure the much needed Quebec Liberal vote.

    Like the PMO, you seem to be shifting possible blame to Ms. Wilson-Raybould, indicating that she may have had a role in breaking confidentiality and attorney client privilege. To date, how she has conducted herself in the public eye has been arguably superior by comparison. If Mr. Trudeau is hurt by this media coverage he should reconsider how HE handled it, not by what Ms. Wilson-Raybould did or did not do or say. When she addresses the Justice Committee we can only hope that she is forthcoming with honest information that sheds light on this issue, rather than protects herself, the PMO, the government and the Liberal Party. EVERYONE’s credibility is on the line, and any ‘watered down’, non-specific statement by Ms. Wilson-Raybould, based on some potential ‘backroom cabinet deal’, will only serve to further damage the government.

    As for media coverage, yes, ‘the role of newspapers is typically to report the news, not to make it’. But this story was not MADE by the globe, and it is by no means limited to the Globe, it has national mainstream and social media attention. We don’t want to stop the Globe, or anyone else, from reporting on an issue because some people claim that they do so based on ulterior motives. We can only hope that all media provides us with UNBIASED reporting, but still we realistically know that this is not the case. Everyone in life gives us their biased opinions – and we can never control that. But at least we are able to listen. The actions of the PMO and the Liberal Party on this issue tells us that they only want us to know what they want us to know. And next will come their attempts to reduce ‘fake news’, under the auspices of eliminating foreign government influence, wherein THEY control what WE hear. While I disagree with your opinions in your article, I do appreciate that you have disclosed your previous involvement with Liberal politics because it tells me where your thinking comes from. I would much rather hear from someone I disagree with, and come to my own conclusions, than to not hear your opinion at all.

  • D.duck

    Let’s look at this from a different view point.

    When does ‘No mean No’. Is it only in the context of sexual harassment or does this apply to other facet’s of one’s life??

    As expected, I see that you have created the war of the newspapers. Huffington Post being Fox News and G&M being CNN. This will only escalate the rhetoric and diminish the free press.

    ‘Susan L’, if we are comparing Jody Wison-Raybould’s portfolio then we should also compare that of her ‘boss’ PM Trudeau’s!!!

    In defense of each, there are positives and negatives. I happen to believe that Jody’s camp has more positives than negatives given the extensive cabinet position she held. As for PM JT, the voters will speak for themselves come October, 2019.

    Finally, when your #1 bouncer, Gerald Butts, resigns, it cast a very large and negative shadow over the Jody Wilson-Raybould’s fiasco. Butts would not have resigned unless beneath the smoke there was fire.

  • Joe Gaetan

    Only Trudeau, Butts, Wernick, Telford and Wilson-Raybould know what really happened in the SNC ordeal, but the fumbling and stumbling, mostly by the Prime Minister, is what is feeding the fire. We will soon know if there is “Something rotten in the state of Denmark”. Three of the four characters in this one act play have resigned (actual facts that should not be ignored), where there is smoke there is fire. Next up, the Admiral Mark Norman criminal trial, where, Trudeau, Butts and Telford have been subpoenaed. The defense led by Marie Henien, has indicated that political interference allegations will be a major component of the motion when it’s filed. Sound familiar, same actors different play?
    Fake News, I think not, maybe overzealous reporting, but when the Globe goes after it rather than the Post there must be something we need to know. Whether or not Trudeau is in trouble, the electorate will decide this October.

  • Philip Waggett

    I wonder how this article would have read if this was a Conservative government? Enough said.

  • Wow, non-story huh. The Principal Secretary in the PMO and the Veterans Affairs Minister resigns. Really? For no reason?

    The Prime Minister, the Principal Secretary with the aid of the Clerk of the Privy Council are politically interfering in a judicial matter. They don’t accept that “no means no”. They ignore the September 4th decision of the Director of Public Prosecutions, challenging the minister’s decision Sept. 4th, Sept 17th, Oct 7th and Dec. 19th.

    They, like this writer, don’t understand or accept that SNC-Lavalin’s financial well-being cannot weigh into a decision to use a Deferred Prosecution Agreement (DPA).

    SNC-Lavalin became “too big too fail” because of its alleged bribery in Libya, it’s illegal donations to the Federal Liberal Party, bribery for a contract to build a Montreal hospital, and possibly bribery to repair the Jacque Cartier bridge. This bad actor is hardly the victim of “something a handful of former executives did almost two decades ago”. The rot is pervasive in this organization and they need to be held to account

    Three weeks after the A-G said no a fourth time, JWR was removed from her post as A-G and Justice Minister, replaced by a Quebec based MP who as recently as Feb 10th said that using the DPA for SNC-Lavalin was still a possibility. The political interference to support Quebec Inc. continues.

    The Washington Post says “Democracy Dies in the Darkness”. Let’s not dim the lights by calling this a “non-story”.

  • Gary

    At the heart of liberalism in Canada is the sense of a “progressive” agenda, the need to be constantly reforming things, even if they don’t obviously cry out for reform. The federal Liberal party best represents that form of liberalism in the halls of Parliament. Judged by that standard, I find Wilson-Raybould to be another typical, run-of-the-mill cabinet Minister, as outlined by Susan L. Her competency is about average for the party and acolytes.

  • Eve St Clair

    Keep reading the Liberal based propaganda ,Susan . Have fun in October 2019, when you and the Liberals are wondering why they lost the election .Glad your in favour of a Prime Minister becoming a dictator ,directing who can and who cannot speak . Turning a blind eye to criminal corruption charges as Trudeau did is not acceptable or legal ,

  • Jim Thomson

    Maybe white collar crime wouldn’t be so prevalent if it was prosecuted more often. SNC-Lavalin is the poster boy for white collar crime. It’s not just two decades ago in a land far away. It happened recently in the Montreal Mega-hospital as well, obviously it is in their corporate culture. A conviction will put all companies on notice that they aren’t above the law.

  • Ray Rivers

    Susan, thanks for your input.

  • D.duck

    Canadian Definition:

    “Harassment is a form of discrimination. It includes any unwanted physical or verbal behaviour that offends or humiliates you. Generally, harassment is a behaviour that persists over time. Serious one-time incidents can also sometimes be considered harassment.”

    Harassment does not have to be demonstrably blatant. It can be subtle such as when a colleague cross their arms and fixes you with a stare, or points a finger at you when they are gesturing, or rolls their eyes when you are communicating to them or always interrupts or states that your opinion is always wrong.

    It can be subjectively perceived as negative even though you may feel that your intent was nothing but a discussion or an opinionated debate. It must be viewed through the eyes and the collective experience of the individual who is deemed harassed. Not from your view point but from theirs. This is why it is so hard to qualify some harassment allegations especially when gender, culture, ethnicity and age all play a role.

    For instance:

    “I’m sorry but if you can’t stand the heat get out of the kitchen.” Is an old saying that has a certain connotation to older WASP males BUT to some women. It maybe considered sexist, degrading, condescending and even harassing.

    or

    “The PM is responsible for appointing and shuffling cabinet ministers at his discretion, and they serve at his pleasure.” Now, even I take exception to the sexual innuendo found in this phrase as well as the applied indenture servitude to the PM with the implied message that the PM can do wrong. I am sure others would not, but that is my perception and it should be respected, even if it is not correct.

    or

    “What goes on in the PM’s Cabinet room is top secret and Cabinet solidarity is at the heart of our governance system. Breaking confidentiality has serious consequences”. There was a time when publicly owned corporation had their Board Meetings open to the media for transparency. Now, many publicly owned corporation have Board Meetings ‘in camera’ or don’t allow media or the public in at all. This lack of transparency has become a millstone for the tax-paying public who fund these corporations. We have seen this in our own City council in regards to Condo high-rises and selling of public parkettes.

    Finally, to pull a Trumpism: “is This Just Fake News” and ridicule the Globe and Mail is something I hope to have never heard a Canadian Journalist say. Media outlets have to be kept accountable for their sources and stories but unless you have evidence to the contrary then speculating and creating disbelieve breeds further disbelieve in ways that you only have to look south to see.

    So, Jody Wilson-Raybould may or may not speak her perceived beliefs on why she may or may not have felt harassed or pressured or belittled or whatever she wishes to call it. To Jody Wilson-Raybould it is her truth and that must be respected even though it may or may not the perceived truth of others.

    D.duck
    PS: this is just my opinion and you may or may not agree with it. That’s OK, as it is just an opinion and opinions are open to dialogue and even change.

  • Susan L.

    Jody Wilson-Raybould was “demoted” because she did a poor job As Justice Minister. When she was appointed she was given a mandate letter to accomplish certain things. She bungled just about everything. No wonder she won’t speak.

    – Her bill to create a process for medically-assisted dying is already the subject of challenges before the courts.
    – Medical cannabis is taxable.
    – She eliminated Charter protections for those accused of impaired driving offences.
    – She she overhauled the law in relation to alcohol-impaired driving. The police can arrest you for impaired driving even two hours after you’ve been home. Now, the onus is on drivers to prove they weren’t impaired when they were on the road.
    – Tried to eliminate the right of cross-examination of police witnesses in criminal trials.
    – She was supposed to oversee the creation and completion of an inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. She let it run well over the 2 year deadline.

    And there’s more. https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/kyla-lee/jody-wilson-raybould-snc-lavalin_a_23669171/