Monday, another day in the interminable SNC-Lavalin/Wilson-Raybould Affair, and both Justin Trudeau and Andrew Scheer were present. Scheer led off, mini-lectern on desk, and in French, he read a particularly torqued version of Michael Wernick’s testimony last week. Trudeau stood up and rattled off his talking points about standing up for jobs while respecting the independence of the judiciary. Scheer was not impressed, and wanted to know what Trudeau ordered Wernick to tell Wilson-Raybould when he called her up, and go the same answer. Scheer switched to English, and he repeated his first question, but added the descriptors of “sleazy” to the affair, and Trudeau repeated the talking point in English. Scheer insisted that interfering in a criminal case is wrong, and demanded to know why he kept applying pressure. Trudeau picked up a script to say that Scheer didn’t know what he was talking about, and read about the Justice Department’s reasons to grant a deferred prosecution agreements. Scheer decried the sustained pressure to let Trudeau’s “well-connected friends off the hook,” to which Trudeau said that Wilson-Raybould could address the relevant matter at committee while the two cases were ongoing. Murray Rankin was up to lead for the NDP, wondering if the PM would let Wilson-Raybould speak, and Trudeau repeated his answer. Rankin laid out the timeline of events, and Trudeau repeated that it was never his call to make. Ruth Ellen Brosseau read Rankin’s first question over again in French, and Trudeau repeated his assurance that Wilson-Raybould would be able to speak. Brosseau read that the Liberals were just helping their friends, and Trudeau repeated the backgrounder on DPAs.

Round two, and Andrew Scheer got back up, and asked about the December 5th meeting between Gerald Butts and Wilson-Raybould (Chagger: The matter is being looked at by the Ethics Commissioner and the committee, and witnesses are answering, so why are you undermining that work), whether they would support their Supply Day motion on calling Trudeau committee (Chagger: Stop undermining the committee’s work), Alain Rayes wondered if the PM tried to influence Wilson-Raybould (Chagger: The Director of Public Prosecutions confirmed that they don’t take direction), and if the PM would appear at committed (Chagger: They say in French that they’ll save SNC-Lavalin but in English says they’ll let them fail), and Lisa Raitt asked why they shuffle Wilson-Raybould (Chagger: Your leader met with SNC-Lavalin), and whether the PM gave any assurances to SNC-Lavalin (Chagger: Let the committee do their work). François Choquette and Nathan Cullen worried about Trans Mountain being approved by the NEB and worrying about Energy East (Fraser: We are going to get resources to markets while putting a price on pollution; Sohi: We are following the clear guideline given by the Federal Court of Appeal). Pierre Paul-Hus and Candice Bergen returned to questions on pressuring Wilson-Raybould (Chagger: We are letting the committee do their job; Lametti: She will be able to discuss relevant matters before committee). Brigitte Sansoucy and Daniel Blaikie asked about the Phoenix timeline (Qualtrough: We have dealt with 70,000 cases and won’t stop).

Round three saw more questions on the alleged pressure on Wilson-Raybould (Chagger: Let the committee do their work), GM workers in Oshawa (Bains: We fight for auto workers, and have made historic investments in the sector), whether the revenue minister was correct in telling a radio interview that a decision on SNC-Lavalin was made at committee (Chagger: Let the committee to do their work), demanding wider discretion for Wilson-Raybould go speak (Lametti: She can speak on relevant matters at committee), augmenting police services in remote reserve communities (Goodale: I’m open to suggestions, but we also made new investments for Indigenous policing), demands that SNC-Lavalin be given a deferred prosecution (Lametti: I can’t comment because of ongoing court cases), and home ownership relating to the mortgage stress test (Morneau: We are focused on measures for affordable housing, and to make home ownership part of Canadians’ dreams).

Overall, it was fairly repetitive again today, as Justin Trudeau largely hewed to the same talking points about trying to preserve jobs, while Bardish Chagger stuck to her own talking points about letting the committee doing its work. This said, Trudeau and David Lametti did indicate that they had no issue with Wilson-Raybould appearing at committee to give “relevant” testimony and that it wouldn’t affect the two ongoing court cases (though they didn’t phrase this as waiving solicitor-client privilege, possibly indicating that there was no privilege with this issue as Michael Wernick indicated last week), though the Conservatives interpreted this as Trudeau still constraining her by defining what is relevant. Wilson-Raybould herself put out a letter at the same time saying that she was still consulting with her lawyer on the issue, which is starting to sound a bit suspicious. Regardless, other than this declaration from Trudeau that Wilson-Raybould can speak, there was very little else that was edifying in the whole exercise today.

Sartorially speaking, snaps go out to Candice Bergen for a short-sleeved dress with a maroon geometric pattern over grey mottling, and to Will Amos for a tailored navy three-piece suit with a white shirt and pocket square with a red tie. Style citations go out to Angelo Iacono for a tan brown corduroy jacket with a white shirt and brown and yellow tie, and to Maryam Monsef for a black dress with a dusky rose jacket.