Ethics Commissioner Agrees to NDP Request, Launches Investigation into Justin Trudeau & SNC-Lavalin

OTTAWA – On Monday, the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner, Mario Dion, agreed to a request from New Democrats to begin an investigation into the attempts by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his office to provide SNC-Lavalin with a reduced punishment stemming from serious corruption charges. This is the latest in a long string of scandals that make it clear whose side Justin Trudeau is on: corporations and the super-rich.

“Canada’s Ethics Commissioner agrees there are sufficient grounds to begin an independent investigation into Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his office for the alleged special treatment they gave SNC-Lavalin,” said NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh. “The Liberals keep telling us how important an independent justice system is, but it all goes out the window when their friends are in trouble. The Liberals give big companies all the breaks while Canadians have to play by the rules and are still getting squeezed.”

“Justin Trudeau promised Canadians he would change the way politics worked in Ottawa, but instead his Liberal government continues to prioritize helping insiders and the rich get ahead. Canadians deserve better,” said NDP Ethics Critic Charlie Angus. “It's no wonder that most Canadians feel like it's big companies who are getting all the breaks, and not them. Canadians deserve to know whose side this government is on: everyday Canadians who follow the rules or a massive multinational corporation with deep ties to the Liberal Party?”

The pressure to go easy on SNC-Lavalin may have resulted in the termination of Jody Wilson Raybould as Attorney General and Minister of Justice, the first Indigenous woman to ever hold the post. In recent days, Liberal operatives have attempted to smear Wilson-Raybould’s performance even though she was widely seen as a credible and competent Minister throughout her tenure.

“We urge Mr. Trudeau’s team to stop trying to discredit Ms. Wilson-Raybould and to commit to fully cooperate with the Ethic Commissioner’s investigation. The Liberal government should also support the work of the Justice Committee who will be looking into other questions such as, why was the law that would help SNC-Lavalin changed in the first place and who pressured the former Attorney General to let SNC-Lavalin off the hook,” said NDP BC Liaison Nathan Cullen, “Canadians deserve answers. This scandal goes to the heart of our democracy and the fairness of our legal system.”