ROTHENBURGER: The rumble in Ottawa is now officially a he said-she said situation. Butts testimony presents very different picture of JWR affair
Former principal secretary Gerald Butts gave his side of the story today (March 6, 2019) and it is vastly different than the one Jody Wilson-Raybould offered the Commons justice committee last week. The former attorney-general and justice minister had painted a picture of “inappropriate pressure” from the PMO with respect to the SNC-Lavelin legal case. Butts, however, ran through a chronology of discussions with her over the months that suggested they were respectful and appropriate. Butts also rejected, in detail, suggestions that Wilson-Raybould was demoted for standing up to the PMO, instead saying it was entirely to do with a necessary shuffle due to a vacancy in cabinet. He did, however, concede that relations between his office and Wilson-Raybould deteriorated and “I take my fair share of responsibility for that state of affairs.” But he said discussions with her about SNC-Lavelin were about making sure she had all the information she needed, an...