Jody Wilson-Raybould and Jane Philpott have both been kicked out of the Liberal caucus, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday, moments after their fellow government MPs had gathered on Parliament Hill for an emergency meeting to determine their future with the party.
香蕉视频直播淲e香蕉视频直播檝e taken every effort to address their concerns, and ultimately, if they can香蕉视频直播檛 honestly say that they have confidence in this team 香蕉视频直播 then they cannot be part of this team,香蕉视频直播 Trudeau said.
The dissident MPs, both former senior cabinet ministers, risked a civil war within the Liberal party, he said. That香蕉视频直播檚 how the Liberals lose power and Canada can香蕉视频直播檛 afford it, he said.
香蕉视频直播淐anadians will view the removal of Jane Philpott and Jody Wilson-Raybould from the Liberal caucus for exactly what it is: A betrayal of justice,香蕉视频直播 Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer said. 香蕉视频直播淓lected officials are supposed to protect individuals who blow the whistle on government misconduct and corruption, not punish them. However, in expelling Ms. Philpott and Ms. Wilson-Raybould from their caucus, they have done exactly that.香蕉视频直播
Wilson-Raybould, whose explosive allegations of political interference by the Prime Minister香蕉视频直播檚 Office appear to have deeply imperilled Liberal hopes of holding on to power in this fall香蕉视频直播檚 federal election, wrote to her fellow 香蕉视频直播 now former 香蕉视频直播 caucus members earlier in the day in hopes of convincing them to let her stay.
But just minutes into Tuesday香蕉视频直播檚 hastily convened meeting, Wilson-Raybould, who stepped down from Trudeau香蕉视频直播檚 cabinet in February after he shuffled her out of the coveted justice portfolio, made it clear via Twitter that the letter hadn香蕉视频直播檛 worked.
I have just been informed by the Prime Minister of Canada that I am removed from the Liberal caucus and as the confirmed Vancouver Granville candidate for the Liberal Party of Canada in the 2019 federal election. More to come...
香蕉视频直播 Jody Wilson-Raybould (@Puglaas)
香蕉视频直播淚 have just been informed by the prime minister of Canada that I am removed from the Liberal caucus and as the confirmed Vancouver Granville candidate for the Liberal Party of Canada in the 2019 federal election,香蕉视频直播 she tweeted.
Minutes later, reporters and cameras were ushered into the caucus room to listen to Trudeau announce that both Wilson-Raybould and Philpott were out.
香蕉视频直播淭he trust that previously existed between these two individuals and our team has been broken,香蕉视频直播 Trudeau told caucus members.
香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 become clear that Ms. Wilson-Raybould and Dr. Philpott can no longer be part of our Liberal team.香蕉视频直播
The turmoil has roiled the top ranks of the Trudeau government for weeks, impelled by allegations that Wilson-Raybould was improperly pressured by the Prime Minister香蕉视频直播檚 Office to intervene in the criminal prosecution of Montreal-based engineering firm SNC-Lavalin.
And it comes on the heels of a fresh uproar over a key phone conversation between the ex-minister and former Privy Council clerk Michael Wernick, the country香蕉视频直播檚 top bureaucrat 香蕉视频直播 a conversation Wilson-Raybould secretly recorded.
That recording was released Friday as part of her evidence of what Wilson-Raybould calls an intense pressure campaign to persuade her to override a decision to deny SNC-Lavalin a remediation agreement, which would allow the engineering giant to avoid criminal proceedings on corruption and fraud charges.
In the weeks following Wilson-Raybould香蕉视频直播檚 resignation, caucus had grown divided over the question of whether she and Philpott should be allowed to remain as Liberal MPs. Trudeau himself had initially suggested he would be willing to let them stay, saying repeatedly that he was reserving judgment.
But Friday香蕉视频直播檚 release of Wilson-Raybould香蕉视频直播檚 17-minute phone conversation with Wernick 香蕉视频直播 and the fact she recorded it 香蕉视频直播 appeared to tip the scales.
READ MORE: Butts, Wilson-Raybould texts show mounting anger, frustration over shuffle
香蕉视频直播淚f a politician secretly records a conversation with anyone, it香蕉视频直播檚 wrong. When that politician is a cabinet minister secretly recording a public servant, it香蕉视频直播檚 wrong. And when that cabinet minister is the attorney general of Canada, secretly recording the clerk of the Privy Council, it香蕉视频直播檚 unconscionable.香蕉视频直播
He said he was chosen to be Liberal leader, and then prime minister, because he promised a more unifying style than the Conservatives before him.
香蕉视频直播淲e won because we stood together as a team, which was, to be frank, a change from past iterations of this party. The old Liberal party was notorious for infighting. People on the same team used to identify themselves not as Liberals but as hyphenated Liberals,香蕉视频直播 he said. 香蕉视频直播淐ivil wars within parties are incredibly damaging because they signal to Canadians that we care more about ourselves than we do about them.香蕉视频直播
For the sake of unity, he said, Wilson-Raybould and Philpott had to go.
Trudeau finished by swinging into a campaign speech, touting the Liberal record on the environment, the economy and minority rights.
香蕉视频直播淭his is what this year香蕉视频直播檚 election is about. This is what香蕉视频直播檚 on the line,香蕉视频直播 he said.
In her appeal to her caucusmates, Wilson-Raybould said she rejected the prime minister香蕉视频直播檚 pressure on SNC-Lavalin because she was standing up for Liberal values.
香蕉视频直播淚 know many of you are angry, hurt, and frustrated. And frankly so am I, and I can only speak for myself,香蕉视频直播 Wilson-Raybould wrote in her letter to caucus members.
香蕉视频直播淚 am angry, hurt, and frustrated because I feel and believe I was upholding the values that we all committed to. In giving the advice I did, and taking the steps I did, I was trying to help protect the prime minister and the government from a horrible mess.
香蕉视频直播淚 am not the one who tried to interfere in sensitive proceedings, I am not the one who made it public, and I am not the one who publicly denied what happened. But I am not going to go over all of the details here again. Enough has been said.香蕉视频直播
Toronto MP John McKay, who was unmoved by Wilson-Raybould香蕉视频直播檚 letter, said he香蕉视频直播檚 dismayed by her behaviour and believes she and Philpott are 香蕉视频直播渏oined at the hip.香蕉视频直播 Fellow MP Judy Sgro agreed the letter is 香蕉视频直播渢oo little, too late.
Infrastructure Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne criticized Wilson-Raybould香蕉视频直播檚 ethics, saying he had never recorded any conversations he had while working as a lawyer. Tourism Minister Melanie Joly called it 香蕉视频直播渇undamentally wrong.香蕉视频直播
In the call, Wernick repeatedly asked Wilson-Raybould why she was not using all the tools at her disposal on the SNC-Lavalin case. She pushes back, saying she would not override the decision of the director of public prosecutions to pursue a criminal prosecution against SNC-Lavalin for bribery and fraud related to its activities in Libya.
Wernick told her Trudeau was 香蕉视频直播渜uite determined香蕉视频直播 on the matter and would likely 香蕉视频直播渇ind a way to get it done one way or another.香蕉视频直播
NDP MP Jenny Kwan said Trudeau香蕉视频直播檚 move Tuesday was an extension of that attitude 香蕉视频直播 he香蕉视频直播檇 decided he was going to get his way and threw two unco-operative women under the bus, she said.
Wilson-Raybould has said she believes she was moved out of Justice to Veterans Affairs as punishment for refusing to succumb to relentless pressure last fall from Trudeau, his senior staff, Wernick and others to intervene on SNC香蕉视频直播檚 behalf. She resigned from cabinet a month later.
Philpott followed suit in early March, citing a loss in confidence in the government香蕉视频直播檚 handling of the matter.
The Canadian Press
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