OTTAWA — Canadians should heed the words of the country’s top public servant on allegations that the Prime Minister’s Office pressured former attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould to stop a criminal prosecution of Montreal-based engineering giant SNC-Lavalin, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says. “The clerk of the privy council, Michael Wernick, is an extraordinary public servant who has served this country and continues to serve this country under governments of different political stripes, with integrity and brilliance,” said Trudeau. Wernick told the committee that Trudeau was worried a prosecution might result in SNC-Lavalin’s moving its operations overseas or closing up shop, hurting innocent employees, shareholders, pensioners, third-party suppliers and communities in which the company operates. Wernick said he told Wilson-Raybould about those concerns during a conversation in December but that his intention was to provide “context,” not pressure. The clerk told the committee he doesn’t think solicitor-client privilege applies in this instance and it’s up to Wilson-Raybould to choose how much she wants to say on the matter.

Source: National Post February 22, 2019 15:11 UTC