Politics is the art of compromising between choices.
That compromise involves choices between what voters want, what’s best for voters, what is best for the governing party, and occasionally, what is affordable.
During the past weeks Canadians have witnessed what can happen when choices and strong personalities clash.
Former attorney general and justice minister Jody Wilson-Raybould resigned her new cabinet post of veterans’ affairs, citing she was hounded at least 10 times to allow Quebec-based SNC-Lavalin a deferred prosecution penalty rather than face a court trial and government mandated penalties that could devastate the company’s future.
In testimony to the justice committee, Wilson-Raybould said she believed her demotion from attorney general and justice was the consequence of not giving SNC the deferred prosecution agreement, lobbied for by the Prime Minister’s Office, and, according to her, the prime minister.
While she was offended by the inappropriate lobbying, she said nothing illegal was done.
Former PMO director Gerry Butts, in testimony to the justice committee, said Wilson-Raybould was not demoted because of her refusal to give SNC the agreement.
Butts said he believed contacting her about the SNC matter was appropriate because she hadn’t offered a written decision on the issue, and she always wrote up her decisions and affairs, as we saw from her testimony.
He also noted she had been offered the Indigenous affairs portfolio, but refused, citing her disgust of the Indian Act. In 13 cabinet shuffles this professional back room dealer had never seen any minister refuse a cabinet position.
Attorney general and justice was her dream job, although at Indigenous affairs she likely could have made important changes. Then again, she might have thought she was the token Indigenous person in that portfolio.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau echoed Butts’ testimony, not offering the expected apology for his part in the erosion of trust.
The national media and Opposition Conservatives have had a field day with this matter, writing about how terrible the PMO and Trudeau were, speculating on what happened and wanting more testimony.
Conservative leader Andrew Scheer and his colleagues roast the PMO and Trudeau daily, saying the interference with the attorney general, who has last say over the independent public prosecutor, requires an independent inquiry.
What really happened here was a public airing of government’s inner workings when an as yet unidentified person leaked the information to the media.
Justin Trudeau recruited a pile of non-political candidates, Wilson-Raybould among them, by promising his government would operate differently from past regimes.
He tried but when political needs overshadowed, in his opinion, the law, pressure was applied. Wilson-Raybould, a non-partisan person of principle, rebelled and resigned.
This pushing the envelope on the attorney general’s independence was a matter of who is the boss? Trudeau or Wilson-Raybould? Forget about her Indigenous background, her gender, she disobeyed the boss and paid for it.
Employees, cabinet ministers included, refuse the boss’ demands at their own peril.
Voters should understand this has been going on since Sir John A. Macdonald got caught in the 1880s.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper saw a need to take action, creating the office of independent public prosecutor. He didn’t go far enough. He should have split the attorney general and justice minister into two portfolios with the attorney general outside of cabinet to ensure no inappropriate lobbying
Perhaps, one of Trudeau’s “lessons learned” will cause that split.
Ron Walter can be reached at ronjoy@sasktel.net
