1. Own It
Yes, the testimony by Jody Wilson-Raybould on political pressure applied to her on the SNC-Lavalin matter is devastating.
While maintaining that he has his own truth, Trudeau should accept Wilson-Raybould’s testimony as a valid perception of the events and admit that maybe he didn’t see how his actions could be viewed this way.
The sort of pressure exerted by SNC-Lavalin is, after all, politics as usual. And it’s pretty easy to fall into line and try to help the corporation through a rough patch, even if it’s a rough patch completely of it’s own making.
But there is a point of view where this could be seen as wrong, especially when it crosses into the conduct of the Attorney-General’s office. It was wrong in Wilson-Raybould’s eyes, and in my eyes, and in the eyes of a lot of Canadians.
Trudeau should acknowledge that, own his actions, and admit that there is this other point of view, and that it is valid.
2. Turn It Around
What has bothered me most about the entire SNC-Lavalin matter is that it is a manufactured crisis, created by the Conservative Party and their political allies, the Globe and Mail.
How did the Conservatives know all this pressure had taken place behind the scenes? Because that’s what they would have done. And as I suggested in a previous post, the matter would have quietly gone away.
That may still happen with the Liberal party. As one commentator said on today’s CBC political panel, they would wait “a decent interval of time”, and then give SNC-Lavalin everything it wants. But as another commentator notes, that would be an admission of guilt.
Trudeau should turn the crisis around, and make it clear that this demonstrates one of the strengths of the Liberal Party.
He should say that this is what distinguishes the Liberal Party from the conservatives. The Liberals have strong and independent voices in Cabinet, bolstered by diversity of representation, and that what happens in this sort of environment is that politics as usual is disrupted.
Trudeau should say that he appreciates the presence of strong caucus members and ministers, that they serve a valuable purpose in correcting mistakes, and that the fact that he ultimately left the decision up to Wilson-Raybould is proof of this.
And he should be very clear that this never would have been a scandal in a Conservative government because none of this would have happened, and corporate influence over the judicial process would have happened quietly, in back rooms, with nobody in a very quiescent cabinet to say no.
3. Make It Right
Jody Wilson-Raybould has established her position as a moral authority. Whether or not you believe her (and, frankly, there’s no reason not to believe her) and whether or not you agree with her position (though, as I have said, many Canadians do) you have to agree that she would not put political convenience ahead of what’s right.
That’s somebody you want on your side when the other side seeks to paint you as unethical. Especially when the other side is probably even more unethical themselves. Yes, you can have a very strong disagreement with her. But – you want to make clear – that’s why she’s in cabinet, and even more importantly, that’s why she’s a Liberal. And not a Conservative.
The shuffle to Veteran’s Affairs was a bad look, and granting SNC-Lavalin its wishes would be an even worse look. Continuing down this path will, ultimately, undermine the credibility of the Liberals.
So you make it right. You agree that the positions of Justice Minister and Attorney General should be separated. You do that, and then you appoint Jody Wilson-Raybould as the new Attorney General.
This firmly entrenches the idea that you agree there should be no political interference in judicial matters. You’ve put the one person in place who guarantees this. You also right the wrong that was created when you moved her out of Justice, without leaving her in the political position she may not have been comfortable with.
You can do this without saying that you were wrong, because you have already agreed that, ultimately, it comes down to a matter of different perspectives, and you want to find something that values that. This values that, and allows that you still had a valid perspective.
As for SNC-Lavalin, maybe they get their wishes, maybe they don’t. Who cares? They are charged with breaking the law. There’s no way for you or me to buy our way out of a criminal record; there should be no way for them either.