OTTAWA: A former key aide of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who is at the centre of a major political crisis, on Wednesday (Mar 6) denied he had pressured the then-justice minister to allow a major firm to avoid a corruption trial last year.
Gerald Butts, addressing an incident that has cost Trudeau two senior cabinet ministers so far, said he had one short conversation with the minister, Jody Wilson-Raybould, at the time about helping construction company SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. Butts quit as Trudeau's principal private secretary on Feb 18."I do not see how our brief discussion on that file constitutes pressure of any kind," Butts told the House of Commons justice committee.
Wilson-Raybould told the committee last week that Butts and other senior officials had subjected her to persistent and inappropriate pressure to help SNC-Lavalin. The firm, which employs 9,000 people in Canada, is based in the province of Quebec, where Trudeau's Liberals need to pick up seats to win a federal election set for October.
"When 9,000 people's jobs are at stake, it is a public policy problem," said Butts, adding that saving those jobs had been a major priority for Trudeau.A second member of Trudeau's Cabinet resigned on Monday, saying she had lost confidence in how the government had dealt with the matter. Treasury Board President Jane Philpott was one of the most respected members of government, and political observers described her departure as a major blow.
We have summarized this news so that you can read it quickly. If you are interested in the news, you can read the full text here. Read more:
ChannelNewsAsia » / 🏆 6. in SG Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Top ally backs embattled Canada PM, easing pressure over crisisOTTAWA (REUTERS) - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau won the public support on Thursday (Feb 28) of a top political ally, indicating there was no immediate pressure inside his Liberal Party to oust him over a deepening political scandal.. Read more at straitstimes.com.
Source: The Straits Times - 🏆 8. / 63 Read more »
Canada opposition leader demands PM Justin Trudeau quit over ethics allegationsOTTAWA (REUTERS, BLOOMBERG) - The leader of Canada's main opposition party demanded on Wednesday (Feb 27) that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau quit after a former justice minister said government officials inappropriately pressured her to help a major firm avoid a bribery trial.. Read more at straitstimes.com.
Source: The Straits Times - 🏆 8. / 63 Read more »
Canada PM shuffles cabinet for second time in six weeks amid crisisCanadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday shuffled his cabinet for the second time in six weeks in response to a crisis caused by the ...
Source: ChannelNewsAsia - 🏆 6. / 66 Read more »
Malaysia's ex-PM Najib and economic affairs minister trade barbs over Khazanah's S$2b lossPETALING JAYA (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - A public tiff on social media has erupted between former premier Najib Razak and Economics Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali over the RM6 billion (S$2 billion) loss recently reported by sovereign wealth fund Khazanah Nasional Bhd.. Read more at straitstimes.com.
Source: The Straits Times - 🏆 8. / 63 Read more »
Air Canada targets EBITDA margins of 19-22 percentAir Canada on Thursday forecast margins on core earnings (EBITDA) of 19 percent to 22 percent for the next three years and for the same period ...
Source: ChannelNewsAsia - 🏆 6. / 66 Read more »
Canada opposition leader demands Trudeau quit over ethics allegationsFormer Canadian Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould said on Wednesday she had come under persistent and sometimes inappropriate pressure from ...
Source: ChannelNewsAsia - 🏆 6. / 66 Read more »
Canada seen approving extradition hearing against Huawei executiveOTTAWA (REUTERS) - Canada is likely to announce on Friday (March 1) that an extradition hearing against a Huawei Technologies Co Ltd executive can proceed, legal experts said, worsening already icy relations with Beijing.. Read more at straitstimes.com.
Source: The Straits Times - 🏆 8. / 63 Read more »
Huawei CFO suing Canada over December arrest[OTTAWA] The lawyers for Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou are suing the Canadian government, its border agency and federal police, alleging their client was detained, searched and interrogated for three hours in violation of her constitutional rights. Read more at The Business Times.
Source: BusinessTimes - 🏆 15. / 51 Read more »
Canadian foreign minister decries China halting canola shipmentsOTTAWA (AFP) - Canada's foreign minister on Tuesday (March 5) decried China's move to block a major Canadian canola exporter's sales in China, the latest escalation in a burgeoning row between the two countries.. Read more at straitstimes.com.
Source: The Straits Times - 🏆 8. / 63 Read more »
Embattled Vatican envoy faces new sex assault claim in CanadaVatican diplomat Luigi Ventura -- who is already under investigation in France over alleged sexual assault -- is now facing a similar complaint in ...
Source: ChannelNewsAsia - 🏆 6. / 66 Read more »