If true, this is beyond the pale…

Posted on: Thursday, March 7, 2019
Posted at: 7:05 AM

“I was instructed not to send it,” said Nathalie Drouin.

If true, this is beyond the pale…

Jody Wilson-Raybould was, in her capacity as Minister of Justice, the chief federal legal adviser. The Department of Justice exists, in part, to advise the Prime Minister and his Cabinet on legal matters.

Yesterday, the Deputy Minister of Justice, Nathalie Drouin, told the Justice committee that at the end of October 2018, the Privy Council Office asked her department for an opinion on the potential impacts for SNC-Lavalin, if the prosecution resulted in a criminal conviction.

Her department prepared the report, which she said constituted legal advice, but before sending the report to the Privy Council Office, she consulted the Minister of Justice, and was instructed not to send it.

Until today, I thought there was a way for Jody Wilson-Raybould to come back to Cabinet — maybe even resume her position as Minister of Justice and Attorney General.

I no longer think that.

The chief federal legal adviser is obliged to prepare and share any and all reports requested by Prime Minister and the Privy Council Office.

During her prepared statement to the Justice committee last week, Jody Wilson-Raybould, who claimed to keep detailed notes, etc., omitted that she instructed the Deputy Minister of Justice to not send this report.

Everything else aside, what possible reason could Jody Wilson-Raybould have had not to make the Prime Minister and his Cabinet aware of the potential impacts for SNC-Lavalin, if the prosecution resulted in a criminal conviction?

Again, as the chief federal legal adviser, she was obliged to prepare, when asked, and share, when completed, any and all reports requested by Prime Minister and the Privy Council Office.

Being asked to prepare a report and send that report, when completed, does not amount to anything resembling pressure.

At the end of the day, Jody Wilson-Raybould seems to have brought all of this on herself.

2019-03-07  »  somecanuckchick