MP for Moose Jaw, Lake Centre, Lanigan, Tom Lukiwski is calling the mounting SNC-Lavalin affair that has recently rocked Ottawa, an infringement on Canada’s democratic process.
Speaking with Moose Jaw Today.Com a short while ago from Ottawa, MP Lukiwski alleges that the Trudeau government is engaged in a “cover-up” in regards to SNC-Lavalin, a Quebec engineering and construction corporate giant.
The SNC-Lavalin affair came to light when the Globe and Mail, citing unnamed sources, reported on February 7 that PM Trudeau’s office pressured then Attorney General and Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould to drop a criminal prosecution against SNC-Lavalin when she was Attorney General. Allegations are that the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) wanted Wilson-Raybould to instruct federal prosecutors to change course and pursue a remediation agreement and not a criminal prosecution in corruption and fraud against SNC-Lavalin.
Following the Globe and Mail’s story and mounting backlash from Canadians and many MPs, PM Trudeau denied the allegations.
“The allegations in the Global and Mail story are false. Neither the current nor previous Attorney General was directed by me or anyone in my office to take up a decision in this matter,” the Prime Minister said in an interview following the reports.
However, MP Lukiwski suspects that there is what he calls an alleged “cover-up” in the matter and the SNC-Lavalin affair is an infringement on Canada’s democratic process.
“It’s an obstruction on justice and infringement on our democracy. The Attorney General is not supposed to be influenced by the Prime Minister or anyone in the executive branch of government. It is her responsibility to be above any political considerations and make her determinations based on the rule of law,” MP Lukiwski says of the allegations.
He added that the allegations are very serious, and answers are needed urgently from the Prime Minister and those involved.
“In this particular case, it certainly appears that the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and possibly the Prime Minister personally tried to intervene and convince the former Attorney General to change her mind and to cut a special deferred prosecution agreement with the crown prosecutor that would allow SNC-Lavalin to avoid a criminal proceeding and a possible criminal conviction. That is extremely serious for any government or elected official to try and pressure an Attorney General to change her mind so that a corporate entity would be the beneficiary.”
He noted the lost of trust in the government by Canadians seeking answers on the matter.
“I think the Prime Minister is already paying a political price. He has changed his story on this affair several times over the last two or three weeks. He has refused to be open and honest with Canadians and they are responding. All of the recent polls that I’ve seen show that the Liberal Party and in particular, the Prime Minister are taking a beating on this. I think most Canadians intuitively understand that there’s something going on here. There’s something that the Prime Minister is not telling us; there’s something more than what the Liberal talking points are. Canadians want to know the truth and exactly what happened: Is there political interference? Did the PMO try to interfere with the Attorney General of Canada and pressure her into making a favourable decision in response to the SNC-Lavalin affair? This is unacceptable and unconscionable and can certainly be considered by many people as an obstruction of justice and that would be a criminal offense within itself.”
He added, “there are so many questions that still need to be answered. I’m hopeful that the former Attorney General will be able to appear at the Justice Committee here in Ottawa and be able to speak her truth completely without any restraints being put upon her. Hopefully we’ll find that out soon and she’ll be able to say what exactly happened over these last few months.”
Wilson-Raybould is expected to appear before the Justice Committee tomorrow.
