Wilson-Raybould, Philpott removed from Liberal caucus

Citing broken trust and the potential for a civil war within the Liberal party, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau removed former cabinet ministers Jody Wilson-Raybould and Jane Philpott from caucus. Ginella Massa reports.

By News Staff and The Canadian Press

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Jody Wilson-Raybould and Jane Philpott have been kicked out of the Liberal caucus.

“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,” Wilson-Raybould tweeted before his announcement.

“The trust that previously existed between these two individuals and our team has been broken,” says Trudeau. “Whether it’s taping conversations without consent or repeatedly expressing a lack of confidence in our government and in me personally as leader, it has become clear that Ms. Wilson-Raybould and Dr. Philpott can no longer remain part of our Liberal team.”

Wilson-Raybould, who wrote to her fellow Liberals earlier today in hopes of convincing them to let her stay, stepped down from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s cabinet in February after he shuffled her out of the coveted justice portfolio.

She will also not be allowed to run as the Liberal candidate for Vancouver-Granville in the 2019 federal election.

Shortly after the announcement, she tweeted that she will be taking the time to reflect and talk to her supporters about what happens next.

“Canadians will view the removal of Jane Philpott and Jody Wilson-Raybould from the Liberal caucus for exactly what it is: A betrayal of justice,” Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer said. “Elected 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.”

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh tweeted that Wilson-Raybould was being “loyal” to Canadians and that these actions showed Canadians what the Liberals “think of integrity.”

Wayne Long, one of two Liberal MPs who was advocating for more transparency and investigations into the SNC-Lavalin affair, told Parliament Hill reporter Cormac Mac Sweeney he was disappointed but respects the Prime Minister’s decision.

“I have a lot of respect for him, he’s the leader of our party. I absolutely respect that it’s his decision to make. I was simply advocating for a different path,” said Long. “I can have faith and respect our Prime Minister, but I can also have a different viewpoint.”

When asked what path he thought would’ve been best, Long said, “I would’ve like to see those ladies have a chance to address caucus.”

Earlier Tuesday, members of the Trudeau cabinet focused on what was behind Wilson-Raybould’s decision to surreptitiously record a phone conversation with the country’s top public servant.

Wilson-Raybould provided a 17-minute audio recording to the House of Commons justice committee last week to bolster her contention that she was improperly pressured last fall to intervene to stop the criminal prosecution of Montreal engineering giant SNC-Lavalin.

“We’ve taken every effort to address their concerns, and ultimately, if they can’t honestly say that they have confidence in this team … then they cannot be part of this team,” Trudeau said.

“If a politician secretly records a conversation with anyone, it’s wrong. When that politician is a cabinet minister secretly recording a public servant, it’s wrong. And when that cabinet minister is the attorney general of Canada, secretly recording the clerk of the Privy Council, it’s unconscionable,” Trudeau added.

Wilson-Raybould’s full letter to the Liberal caucus can be found here:

Jody Wilson-Raybould’s letter to her Liberal colleagues by CityNewsToronto on Scribd

She also explained some of the actions she took during the SNC-Lavalin affair. “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. I 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.”

In a Facebook post, Philpott said her decision to resign from cabinet in early March, citing a lack of confidence in the government’s handling of the SNC-Lavalin file, was not about “a lack of loyalty.” Rather, she insisted both she and Wilson-Raybould were attempting to “protect” Trudeau from the consequences of “attempts to interfere with prosecutorial independence.”

Philpott said she will continue to serve her constituents in Markham-Stouffville “for the remainder of this term” – which suggests she does not intend to run for re-election as an independent or candidate for another party.

Meanwhile, Gerald Butts, Trudeau’s former right-hand man, has released his text messages with Jody Wilson-Raybould around the time of the cabinet shuffle that show she initially tried to prevent her move out of the Justice portfolio, saying it would send the wrong message to indigenous peoples.

Top Stories

Top Stories

Most Watched Today