Chilliwack-Hope MP Mark Strahl joined a chorus of voices calling for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s resignation in the wake of damning testimony delivered by the former attorney general and Liberal MP Jody Wilson-Raybould.
“The former attorney general has painted a disturbing picture of a prime minister who believes he is above the law, a man who is willing to sacrifice any principle for his own political expediency,” Strahl said.
Wilson-Raybould testified for the Justice Committee Wednesday that she experienced “a consistent and sustained effort” over a four-month period to convince her to interfere in the criminal prosecution of SNC-Lavalin.
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She said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his staff had repeatedly pressured her to allow a major Quebec engineering company to avoid criminal prosecution for alleged bribes distributed in Libya. And she said Trudeau and his staff repeatedly insinuated that not allowing SNC-Lavalin to escape criminal prosecution could have negative political consequences for the Liberal party.
“Canadians can’t ignore this level of corruption,” said Strahl in a release. “The prime minister must resign.”
Before being elected MP for Vancouver Granville, Ms. Wilson Raybould was a Crown prosecutor, advisor at the BC Treaty Commission and elected regional chief British Columbia Assembly of First Nations.
“Her story is credible and should not be ignored,” commented Strahl.
The pressure the AG experienced was described as “inappropriate” and her refusal to comply was met with “veiled” threats. In January she was replaced as attorney general.
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Mission-Matsqui-Fraser Canyon MP Jati Sidhu’s comments about the situation drew fire this week.
“It is disgusting to see Liberals like Mission-Matsqui-Fraser Canyon MP attacking her testimony as ‘sour grapes’ and suggesting that a woman as accomplished as the former Attorney General was having her strings pulled by her father.”
Conservative leader Andrew Scheer and other Conservatives have been calling for the PM’s resignation and are also asking that the RCMP open an investigation into obstruction of justice that they say was detailed in the testimony.
@CHWKjourno
jfeinberg@theprogress.com
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