The SNC-Lavalin Affair in brief:
Feb. 8, Globe and Mail, breaking news: PMO allegedly attempted to influence former attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould to intervene in SNC-Lavalin prosecution; Prime Minister Justin Trudeau denies "directing" Wilson-Raybould with her continued service in cabinet used as proof.
Feb. 12, Wilson-Raybould resigns from cabinet, solicitor-client privilege keeping her silent.
Feb. 18, Trudeau's principal secretary and friend, Gerald Butts, resigns.
A final note: on Feb. 15, the Justice Committee convened, but the Liberal majority voted down calling Wilson-Raybould or Butts as witnesses. As of press time, no statement has been made by Wilson-Raybould, though she has retained legal counsel to help clarify her options.
Those are the facts, but what to make of them? As with any incomplete story, there is plenty of room for conjecture and fair comment. What follows then are a range of possible interpretations, from polite to colourful - feel free to stop reading when your bias is confirmed:
Everyone is telling the truth, just not terribly well: Mr. Sunny Ways never felt he unduly influenced his attorney general; Wilson-Raybould's interpretation is different, so she left; Butts felt he was a distraction, so he quit of his own accord; when it all comes out, everything will settle.
Everyone is telling half the truth and badly: the prime minister did have some words with his attorney general - he had a preferred course for her to take; her lawyerly brain set off alarm bells, eventually causing her to leave; Butts is innocent, falling on his sword to protect the hapless prime minister.
Everyone but the prime minister is telling the truth: Trudeau wanted SNC-Lavalin let off the hook; Wilson-Raybould wouldn't do it, so he fired her; when allegations arose, he tried to dodge; Wilson-Raybould's conscience compelled her to leave; Butts is the scapegoat in order to protect his friend Trudeau.
The PMO is wicked, Wilson-Raybould is a paladin: the prime minister and his minions conspired to release SNC-Lavalin from its punishment; the attorney general was the lone voice for truth and justice; she was demoted - eventually she quit; Butts' is just the first of many heads soon to roll.
Everyone is lying: There was clear direction from the Prime Minister's Office; the attorney general asked for something in return, possibly support in a future bid for leadership or an even higher portfolio; everyone double-crossed each other; all hell will break loose as soon as the full story comes to light. The truth probably sits somewhere in the murky middle of these scenarios. But as we wait for more details, some housekeeping is in order regarding the comments these events have triggered in many pundits, from prophecies of utter doom to excuses for corporate greed.
These allegations are unprecedented: No, there have been many scandals between big Canadian firms and governments of all levels - see the ongoing Vice-Admiral Mark Norman case.
The real issue at hand is that key people have allegedly been caught covering it up.
This is the end of Trudeau and his government: Perhaps - but the prime minister has wiggled out of sticky situations before. Certainly, his brand is permanently tarnished but until the evidence clearly points to him, he's still the Liberals and his government's single biggest asset.
These charges against SNC-Lavalin are bogus anyways: Far be it from me to tell la Belle Province and Lord Conrad Black where to stick it, but "we do not hang men for stealing horses, but so that horses might not be stolen."
I politely suggest all corporatists take that line to heart.
There is perhaps one accusation to partly agree with: Canada has become a banana republic.
Certainly we cannot really be a serious country, for many of our political problems are patently absurd, from a constitution without proper clauses to a navy without proper ships. But addressing our issues would require some semblance of real courage and that is truly lacking.
