Skip to main content

“I am a Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, or free to choose those who shall govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind.” ~~ John G. Diefenbaker

FELDSTED: The hatchet job on Wilson-Raybould, by Michael Wernick (Clerk of the Privy Council and Canada’s top bureaucrat), is just cause for his immediate dismissal


Jody Wilson-Raybould wasn't pressured and is free to talk, says Canada's top bureaucrat
The Canadian Press ~~ The National Post ~~ February 21, 2019

OTTAWA — Canada’s top bureaucrat launched a blunt and vigorous defence Thursday of the government’s handling of the criminal prosecution of SNC-Lavalin, declaring allegations of political interference to be false and even defamatory.

He challenged former attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould’s assertion that solicitor-client privilege prevents her from responding to the allegations that she was improperly pressured by the Prime Minister’s Office to spare the Montreal engineering giant a criminal trial on charges of corruption and bribery related to government contracts in Libya.

“I’m here to say to you that the Globe and Mail article contains errors, unfounded speculation and, in some cases, is simply defamatory,” Wernick told the committee.

From everything he knows, Wernick said the Prime Minister’s Office handled the matter with integrity ...

CLICK HERE to read to full story:

Michael Wernick’s hatchet job on Wilson-Raybould is just cause for his immediate dismissal.

No public servant is ever in a position to attack an elected representative, or the Attorney General who heads the Justice arm of government, which is separate and independent of the Administrative and Legislative sections of government.

Wernick has no legal training and is not capable of discerning what constitutes pressure on or interference with the administration of justice. His contention that Wilson-Raybould has no solicitor-client privilege as part of her position as Attorney General is not credible.


“I’m here to say to you that the Globe and Mail article contains errors, unfounded speculation and, in some cases, is simply defamatory,” Wernick told the committee.

It is outrageous for the Privy Council Clerk to suggest that the Globe and Mail has published inaccurate information and defamation, and then to defame Wilson-Raybould, spewing unfounded speculation on the tenor and intent of meetings between the Prime Minister and the Attorney General.

Again, Mr. Wernick lacks the training and expertise to make such judgements.

It is frightening that the Privy Council Clerk feels comfortable telling the Justice Committee what the duties and responsibilities of the Attorney General are.

He is part of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and a shining example of unelected advisors and bureaucrats out of control and drunk on the power they think they have.

The Prime Ministers Office must be dismantled, and restructured, in accordance with our constitution. Sections 11 and 13 of the Constitution make it clear that the Privy Council is an advisory body to the Governor General in his or her capacity as the Executive arm of government -- not to the Prime Minister who heads the Administrative arm of government.

The post of Attorney General is not a government Ministry like others; the Attorney General heads the Justice branch of government which is independent, and separate, from the Administrative and Legislative Branches.

The consternation over meetings between the Prime Minister (and PMO) and Attorney General on SNC-Lavalin, is that there is no provision or justification for any meeting to occur.

The Justice arm is independent, or it is not, and any meeting to discuss a pending case or cases or an accused is inappropriate. It is clear and simple.  Wernick’s efforts to apply lipstick to this skunk does not diminish the odour.

Both the PMO and PCO appear guilty of interference with justice. His attempt to display ethical integrity is ridiculous. He cannot meet with SNC-Lavalin and also attend meetings with the Attorney General to discuss SNC-Lavalin and claim that there is no effort to influence justice. He deserves an A+ for audacity as severance pay. 

John Feldsted
Political Consultant & Strategist
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Budget 2027: After a Decade of Decline, NDP Budget Delivers an Assault on Seniors, Working Families, and Small Businesses

Peter Milobar, BC Conservative Finance Critic, condemned the NDP government’s latest budget as the result of a decade of decline that has left British Columbians broke, unsafe, and paying more for less.   “After ten years of NDP mismanagement, this budget is an assault on seniors, working families, and the small businesses that drive our economy,” said Milobar. “The NDP have turned their back on the people working hardest to make ends meet and the seniors who built this province.” Milobar pointed to a new $1.1 billion annual income tax increase and warned that the government is piling new costs onto households already struggling with affordability.   “This government keeps asking British Columbians for more, while delivering less,” Milobar said. “The question people are asking is simple: Where has all the money gone?” Milobar noted that BC has gone from a surplus in the first year of NDP government to a projected deficit of more than $13 billion this year, while prov...
Post a Comment
Read more

WARD STAMER -- Those are REAL forestry numbers, not just made-up numbers

The following is a condensed version of remarks Kamloops – North Thompson MLA Ward Stamer’s made, regarding Forestry, in the BC Legislature, on Tuesday afternoon (02/24/2026)   Let’s talk a little bit, when we talk about Budget 2026, about the forest industry, which is near and dear to my heart. Forestry remains one of British Columbia’s foundational industries. It’s a pillar that built this province. Entire communities depend upon it. Interior towns, northern communities, Vancouver Island regions, the Kootenays, the Lower Mainland, with manufacturing facilities in Surrey and Maple Ridge, just to name a few — everywhere in BC is touched by forestry. One word that was not mentioned in Budget 2026 was forestry. That’s a shame, an incredible shame. It wasn’t an oversight – it was intentional. This government has driven forestry into the ground .... INTO THE GROUND! We can talk a little bit about some of the initiatives that this government has brought forth, to try to resurrect ...
Post a Comment
Read more

FORSETH -- Before anyone gets excited about one poll showing a candidate with a 25 percent lead, and 44 percent support overall, let’s give it a few more weeks

Is this based in reality -- how accurate are the numbers? In the past couple of weeks a couple of candidates, for the leadership of the BC Conservative Party, have been presenting polling results that they lead the pack – one even going so far as to say they have a lock on 44% of those who will be voting, and a twenty-five percent lead over the individual ranked second. I am going to say that this one, from Kerry-Lynne Findlay, is highly suspect. First of all the company conducting the poll, ERG National Research, is not a Member of Industry Bodies (the Canadian Research Insights Council), meaning they do not adhere to established industry standards for research, such as transparency, privacy, and methodological rigor. AI Overview states that ... based on alerts from the Canadian Research Insights Council (CRIC) and reports, ERG National Research should be treated with extreme caution regarding its reliability, and legitimacy, in conducting political polling. Before I even read this in...
Post a Comment
Read more

Labels

Show more