Thoughts on BC Politics and More

Butts is back. Now the question is whether he can renew Trudeau, too Campbell Clark ~~ Globe & Mail ~~ July 21, 2019 There can be no surprise in the fact that Prime Minister Trudeau’s best friend and former aide is returning as some kind of campaign adviser. It would have been a big surprise if Gerald Butts stayed away ... ... he was ever-present, a gut check alter ego for the PM – and so full of the Trudeau Liberal political project that it would be hard to imagine he could sit on the sidelines. Or that Mr. Trudeau wouldn’t be calling him. ... the fact that Mr. Butts is back on Team Trudeau after the SNC-Lavalin affair is a symbol of the big question the Liberals face: can Mr. Trudeau get past the sense of disillusionment and disappointment that many voters who once supported him seem to feel. Can Gerry Butts help Justin Trudeau get his mojo back? CLICK HERE to read the full story The only surprise is that anyone would think that Gerald Butts ever left...

Observing two months of SNC-Lavalin scandal has become a tiresome, soul-destroying trek. Make no mistake; this is a full-blown scandal of the sort that destroys governments, political careers and political parties. There is ample evidence that the Prime Minister’s Office engaged in a campaign of coercion and threats to convince the Attorney General to intervene in our independent justice system and give Lavalin an escape from criminal proceedings. When the Attorney General appeared before the Justice Committee and gave evidence of pressure put on her, Michel Wernick and Gerald Butts were called to testify that the Attorney General misinterpreted their efforts and did not understand their intent. Their efforts were aimed at diminishing the Attorney General’s character. The Attorney General countered by producing further evidence to support her testimony which included the recording of a telephone conversation with Michael Wernick. Liberals leapt on the record...

Political Capitol is a term for the good will of the public toward a party. It is a monitory term because parties earn and spend it. To bring in a new tax for example, spends political capital because most people won’t like it. Parties are careful how they use their political capital because they only have so much. But a party with a lot, will be forgiven for mistakes, whereas one with only a little will be hung out to dry for the smallest misstep. With that in mind, why are Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberals risking all their political capital on SNC-Lavalin, and doing it in an election year? One might think they owe a debt and have to pay it, no matter what the consequences. Then there is this latest stupidity of Justin Trudeau threatening a libel suit on Conservative Party leader Andrew Scheer. This one is such a strategic dead end, which I suspect didn’t tell anyone about before he did it. So, Scheer has called his bluff, now what? If Trudeau goes ahead with t...

Gerald Butts Gives Justice Committee Notes, Texts About SNC-Lavalin Canadian Press ~~ Huff Post ~~ 03/31/2019 OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's former principal secretary Gerald Butts says he has provided notes and text messages to the House of Commons justice committee in response to evidence filed last week by former attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould on the ongoing SNC-Lavalin controversy. In a tweet published today, Butts says he has handed over notes and texts between himself and Wilson-Raybould after having reviewed the materials she submitted last week. CLICK HERE to read full story Why should we care what Gerald Butts has to say? He was a paid clerk in the Prime Minister’s office (PMO) prior to quitting when the Lavalin scandal heated up. He is appointed, not elected and unaccountable to the public. He does the bidding of his employer and is essentially a carrier of water not craftsmen of policy and direc...

Jody Wilson-Raybould remained in caucus after being demoted – until Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made the mistake of telling the media that her continued presence in Cabinet, indicated she had not been under pressure from the PMO. She resigned the following day . Wilson-Raybould made a credible presentation to the Commons Justice Committee but avoided revealing all of the evidence she had at hand. Her intent was not to destroy, however, Wernick and Butts followed her presentation and intimated that she was overreacting -- or misunderstood the communications. Wilson-Raybould retaliated with clear evidence of her original assertions, including a voice recording of a conversation she had with . If Wernick and Butts had not attempted a character assassination, the recording would probably not ever have surfaced. Rumours that Wilson-Raybould wrote a 60-page missive to Trudeau asking that Winnipeg Judge Joyal be appointed to the Supreme Court, not just as a j...