Canada's Trudeau accepts he breached ethics rules, refuses to apologise

By David Ljunggren and Steve Scherer

 

Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks about a watchdog's report that he breached ethics rules by trying to influence a corporate legal case regarding SNC-Lavalin, in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada, August 14, 2019. REUTERS/Andrej Ivanov

 

OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Wednesday accepted a watchdog's report that he breached ethics rules by trying to influence a corporate legal case but refused to apologise, saying he had been trying to defend jobs.

 

Independent ethics commissioner Mario Dion said Trudeau and his team attempted last year to undermine a decision by federal prosecutors that construction company SNC-Lavalin Group Inc should face a corruption trial.

 

Dion's scathing 58-page assessment could hurt Trudeau's chances of retaining power in a general election in October.

 

"I fully accept this report ... I take full responsibility. The buck stops with the prime minister," said Trudeau, adding that he nevertheless disagreed with some of Dion's conclusions.

 

The scandal over SNC-Lavalin, which erupted in early February, battered Trudeau's image as a youthful progressive at the helm of a government that had vowed to be open and transparent. He is the first Canadian prime minister found to have broken federal ethics rules.

 

The firm, a major employer in the politically important province of Quebec, wanted to take advantage of a 2018 law allowing it to escape with a fine rather than be prosecuted for bribing officials in Libya.

 

Trudeau has admitted he tried last year to persuade former Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould to reconsider the prosecutor's decision to press ahead with a trial.

 

"What we did over the past year wasn't good enough. But at the same time I can't apologise for standing up for Canadian jobs," he told a televised news conference in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario.

 

The affair marked the low point of Trudeau's almost four-year tenure and prompted the resignation of two high-profile female cabinet ministers, his closest personal aide Gerry Butts, and the head of the federal bureaucracy.

 

The case proved politically harmful and Trudeau's Liberals trailed the official opposition Conservatives for several months in opinion polls ahead of the election. Recent surveys, however, showed the centre-left Liberals edging in front of their right-leaning rivals.

 

Dion found Trudeau had contravened conflict of interest rules forbidding public office holders from trying to improperly further another person's private interests.

 

"Because SNC‑Lavalin overwhelmingly stood to benefit from Ms. Wilson-Raybould's intervention, I have no doubt that the result of Mr. Trudeau's influence would have furthered SNC-Lavalin's interests. The actions that sought to further these interests were improper," he said.

 

Wilson-Raybould refused to overrule the prosecutor's decision, and was demoted in a cabinet shuffle in January. She resigned the next month.

 

She later told legislators she had been subjected to inappropriate pressure over SNC-Lavalin and was particularly critical of the role played by Butts, who has rejoined Trudeau's team to focus on the election.

 

"The report confirms critical facts, consistent with what I shared with all Canadians, and affirms the position I have taken from the outset," Wilson-Raybould said in a statement on Wednesday. "There were multiple attempts to improperly influence my decision."

 

Trudeau sidestepped questions as to whether he would fire Butts and other senior aides.

 

Conservative leader Andrew Scheer described Trudeau's behaviour as "unforgivable" and said a police investigation was warranted.

 

"He has stated so many falsehoods that no one can believe anything he says," Scheer told a televised news conference in Regina, Saskatchewan.

 

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said it was examining the matter carefully and would take appropriate action as required.

 

The report marks the second time Trudeau has fallen afoul of conflict of interest rules. In December 2017, former ethics commissioner Mary Dawson said Trudeau acted wrongly by accepting a vacation on the Aga Khan's private island.

 

On that occasion, Trudeau apologised.

 

(Reporting by David Ljunggren and Steve Scherer; Additional reporting by Kelsey Johnson; editing by Will Dunham and Grant McCool)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-08-15

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Dress him? up as seal and throw him? in the water when it's seal slaughter season again. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seal_hunting

No sense doing anything honorable at the end of his sad political career. hurry up and leave Just-in.

You can just hear the aide in the PM's office telling him to "take full responsibility" for the breach of ethics (that way you will do the necessary virtue signalling), BUT (wait wait Justine [sic]) in the very next breath tell them you were being unethical so as to bring more jobs jobs jobs to Kanada.  

 

Hypocrisy, thy name is Trudeau.

'

C'mon Justin man up. Apologize

3 hours ago, webfact said:

accepted a watchdog's report that he breached ethics rules

 

6 minutes ago, Emdog said:

C'mon Justin man up. Apologize

I think he did. 

 

Just not in so many words.

4 hours ago, Emdog said:

C'mon Justin man up. Apologize

He’s a weed smokin’ former part time high school drama teacher/child who never grew up. Inherited his father’s millions. Including a rare car worth at least $1 million just by itself. 

       Refuses to give more help Canadian military vets who fought in Afghanistan and suffer lost limbs or PTSD saying the government can’t afford it, and then turns around and flies his family and friends first class all over the place on vacations at Canadian taxpayer expense. 

   Awarded more than $10 million to a Muslim terrorist who murdered a U.S. soldier and blinded another in one eye. (For “suffering” in Guantonamo)

   Made a total fool of himself in India a year or two ago. 

   People are laughing at him behind his back. 

    Looks like he might have had some interesting ties with that Epstein guy in the U.S. who just died a few days ago.  

   We’ll see.

    The only thing worse than Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, are the folks who voted him into office. 

8 hours ago, Catoni said:

He’s a weed smokin’ former part time high school drama teacher/child who never grew up. Inherited his father’s millions. Including a rare car worth at least $1 million just by itself. 

       Refuses to give more help Canadian military vets who fought in Afghanistan and suffer lost limbs or PTSD saying the government can’t afford it, and then turns around and flies his family and friends first class all over the place on vacations at Canadian taxpayer expense. 

   Awarded more than $10 million to a Muslim terrorist who murdered a U.S. soldier and blinded another in one eye. (For “suffering” in Guantonamo)

   Made a total fool of himself in India a year or two ago. 

   People are laughing at him behind his back. 

    Looks like he might have had some interesting ties with that Epstein guy in the U.S. who just died a few days ago.  

   We’ll see.

    The only thing worse than Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, are the folks who voted him into office. 

 

He seems the typical politically correct liberal left winger. Believes all rules, laws, ethics and acting honorably apply to the "people" he rules; most certainly not to him. He thinks he's above all that because he was elected.

 

He actually admits to acting unethically, but then tries to justify it by saying it was all about preserving jobs. So he believes his ends justify and means.

 

I pity Canada and all decent Canadians for being encumbered with such a hypocritical elitist.

Maybe Justin is a fan of book/movie "Love Story". Tag line for film "Love means never having to say you're sorry" ????

he will be fondly remembered as the man who freed the herb, RIP

As a Canadian, I am proud to read the preceding comments. Thank you gentlemen. 

Hopefully he  should be leaving office Justin time to head over to London and give Boris a hug.

6 minutes ago, from the home of CC said:

he will be fondly remembered as the man who freed the herb, RIP

 

And that Indian dance.

On 8/15/2019 at 10:26 PM, Baerboxer said:

 

He seems the typical politically correct liberal left winger. Believes all rules, laws, ethics and acting honorably apply to the "people" he rules; most certainly not to him. He thinks he's above all that because he was elected.

 

He actually admits to acting unethically, but then tries to justify it by saying it was all about preserving jobs. So he believes his ends justify and means.

 

I pity Canada and all decent Canadians for being encumbered with such a hypocritical elitist.

Reminds me of someone south of the border.

I'm not surprised. He's an arrogant ****.

Baerboxer wrote:"He seems the typical politically correct liberal left winger. "

 

3 minutes ago, Sujo said:

Reminds me of someone south of the border.

I had never thought of Donald Trump as a typical PC liberal left winger.

 

 

On 8/15/2019 at 9:26 PM, Baerboxer said:

 

He seems the typical politically correct liberal left winger. Believes all rules, laws, ethics and acting honorably apply to the "people" he rules; most certainly not to him. He thinks he's above all that because he was elected.

 

He actually admits to acting unethically, but then tries to justify it by saying it was all about preserving jobs. So he believes his ends justify and means.

 

I pity Canada and all decent Canadians for being encumbered with such a hypocritical elitist.

Yes, that is what left wingers are known for, supporting big business.

3 hours ago, ratcatcher said:

Baerboxer wrote:"He seems the typical politically correct liberal left winger. "

 

I had never thought of Donald Trump as a typical PC liberal left winger.

 

 

Neither does the posters definition of one.