DonLever Posted February 13, 2019 Share Posted February 13, 2019 (edited) https://globalnews.ca/news/4953015/snc-lavalin-explained/ The SNC-Lavalin scandal rocked Canadian politics this past week, culminating in the resignation of Veterans Affairs Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould on Tuesday. But the scandal itself is complicated and has many implications. Here’s a breakdown of the issues at play. What does SNC-Lavalin do? SNC-Lavalin is an engineering and construction firm based in Montreal and was once considered one of the top engineering companies in the world. Its work has included government contracts, mining, transportation and infrastructure. It gained a reputation for building a large dam in Quebec that spearheaded the province’s development of hydroelectricity and for developing the skill sets for thousands of Quebec workers. It is still considered a crown jewel in Quebec, according to business experts. According to its website, it was founded in 1911 and it employs 50,000 people around the world, including over 8,500 in Canada. What are the criminal charges? In 2015, the RCMP charged SNC-Lavalin, along with its international division, with corruption and fraud in relation with their business dealings in Libya. The RCMP said officials at the company attempted to bribe several public officials in the country, including dictator Moammar Gadhafi, as well as other businesses in Libya. RCMP officials said SNC-Lavalin also lied to Libyan companies to defraud them of nearly $130 million. If convicted, the company would be barred from bidding on federal projects for 10 years, and current federal contracts would be in jeopardy. What is the Prime Minister’s Office accused of doing? SNC-Lavalin attempted to avoid a trial for the criminal charges, but in October, back when Wilson-Raybould was Canada’s attorney general and justice minister, federal prosecutors refused to negotiate a deal under a newly passed remediation agreement regime. The remediation regime became law through Bill C-74 in June 2018 and would have imposed a fine in exchange for abandoning court proceedings. It allows corporations to skip a conviction and keep bidding on federal projects, which could protect the company from layoffs and financial troubles. In a bombshell report, the Globe and Mail alleged SNC-Lavalin lobbied the PMO’s office to secure the remediation agreement. The report said Wilson-Raybould was pressured to get federal prosecutors to change their refusal to negotiate remediation, but she was unwilling. Trudeau called the allegations in the Globe report “false” and said no one in his office “directed” Wilson-Raybould to make any decision, but refused to comment when asked whether there had been any broader “influence” efforts SNC-Lavalin filed an application for a review of the decision on remediation in October. Wilson-Raybould was shuffled out of her position as justice minister and attorney general and made Minister of Veterans Affairs in January. Quebec MP David Lametti replaced her. The ethics commissioner of Canada is looking into whether there was political interference in the case. Edited December 13, 2019 by DonLever 1 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chon derry Posted February 13, 2019 Share Posted February 13, 2019 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CowBoyCoyote Posted February 13, 2019 Share Posted February 13, 2019 I say ban the company and slap trudeau Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xereau Posted February 13, 2019 Share Posted February 13, 2019 Vote of non confidence is in order. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JM_ Posted February 13, 2019 Share Posted February 13, 2019 This is going to come down to whether or not the PMO trying to influence the justice minister is a crime, and I doubt that there is any legal way that it technically is. Maybe it should be. I liked Wilson-Raybould a lot and think she was treated very poorly by Trudeau and its coming back to bite him. As far as scandals go, this isn't on the same level as the sponsorship scandal or even the infamous $90,000 Duffy check from Harper, but it still stinks of too much influence by a PMO into justice affairs for political reasons. IMO she was kicked out of justice for not being a 'team player', someone willing to adjust their principles for political reasons. She easily could have changed the case to allow the remediation route but chose prosecution instead, and for that she got shuffled out of justice. It was a terrible decision by Trudeau for so many reasons, not the least of which is the message it sends to first nations people in Canada. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luckylager Posted February 13, 2019 Share Posted February 13, 2019 Politicians are always so eager to get on their knees for Corporations, like whores. Jody Wilson-Raybould wouldn't, and has now been pressured into resigning, which is total bull$&!#. The RCMP charged them with defrauding businesses out of $130m... How big of a fine are we talking about under remediation? Would the defrauded companies in Libya get their cash back? And even if they (SNCL) did repay the people they defrauded, they should still be banned from bidding on Government projects for being a criminal organization. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JM_ Posted February 13, 2019 Share Posted February 13, 2019 1 minute ago, luckylager said: Politicians are always so eager to get on their knees for Corporations, like whores. Jody Wilson-Raybould wouldn't, and has now been pressured into resigning, which is total bull$&!#. The RCMP charged them with defrauding businesses out of $130m... How big of a fine are we talking about under remediation? Would the defrauded companies in Libya get their cash back? And even if they (SNCL) did repay the people they defrauded, they should still be banned from bidding on Government projects for being a criminal organization. its impossible to do business in a place like Libya without baksheesh. The question should be whether we allow Canadian companies to operate there at all, because if we do, thats going to be part of the equation, its inevitable. Totally agree on J W-R getting shafted, we need more people like her not less. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goalie13 Posted February 13, 2019 Share Posted February 13, 2019 7 minutes ago, luckylager said: Politicians are always so eager to get on their knees for Corporations, like whores. And when they don't, and the corporation fails, they take the hit for all the lost jobs. It's a lose-lose proposition for any government. I'm not saying that Trudeau did right in this situation, but I think there are often situations where the goverment (no matter which party) is screwed no matter what they do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luckylager Posted February 13, 2019 Share Posted February 13, 2019 Just now, Jimmy McGill said: its impossible to do business in a place like Libya without baksheesh. The question should be whether we allow Canadian companies to operate there at all, because if we do, thats going to be part of the equation, its inevitable. Totally agree on J W-R getting shafted, we need more people like her not less. Yeah.. Guess I'm ignorant in regards to foreign business practices. I think you'd be hard pressed to bar Corps from doing business in certain countries. They'd just play a shell game anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luckylager Posted February 13, 2019 Share Posted February 13, 2019 (edited) 6 minutes ago, goalie13 said: And when they don't, and the corporation fails, they take the hit for all the lost jobs. It's a lose-lose proposition for any government. I'm not saying that Trudeau did right in this situation, but I think there are often situations where the goverment (no matter which party) is screwed no matter what they do. Gotta admit it's easy to explain why a company found guilty of fraud and subsequently banned from government projects for a length of time had to lay people off. I'd have no problem giving the government a pass for taking the moral high road. Edited February 13, 2019 by luckylager 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan Strome Posted February 13, 2019 Share Posted February 13, 2019 19 minutes ago, Jimmy McGill said: This is going to come down to whether or not the PMO trying to influence the justice minister is a crime, and I doubt that there is any legal way that it technically is. Maybe it should be. I liked Wilson-Raybould a lot and think she was treated very poorly by Trudeau and its coming back to bite him. As far as scandals go, this isn't on the same level as the sponsorship scandal or even the infamous $90,000 Duffy check from Harper, but it still stinks of too much influence by a PMO into justice affairs for political reasons. IMO she was kicked out of justice for not being a 'team player', someone willing to adjust their principles for political reasons. She easily could have changed the case to allow the remediation route but chose prosecution instead, and for that she got shuffled out of justice. It was a terrible decision by Trudeau for so many reasons, not the least of which is the message it sends to first nations people in Canada. Harper never gave Duffy a check. Duffy got a loan from a friend. Duffy was found not guilty and the tax payers get to pay him back, in fact the judge iirc had some strong words for the crown. This was not a scandal at all. 1 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goalie13 Posted February 13, 2019 Share Posted February 13, 2019 1 minute ago, luckylager said: Gotta admit it's easy to explain why a company found guilty of fraud and subsequently banned from government projects for a length of time had to lay people off. I'd have no problem giving the government a pass for taking the moral high road. Totally agree in this situation. I was more making reference to the general statement about the government kneeling before corporations. I have no problem with the government doing things to make it easy for companies to do legit business as business creates jobs. But I also think businesses have a reponsibility to not screw over / exploit / abuse customers and employees along the way, especially if they are being supported by government dollars. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan Strome Posted February 13, 2019 Share Posted February 13, 2019 19 minutes ago, Jimmy McGill said: its impossible to do business in a place like Libya without baksheesh. The question should be whether we allow Canadian companies to operate there at all, because if we do, thats going to be part of the equation, its inevitable. Totally agree on J W-R getting shafted, we need more people like her not less. Why did Trudeau pass legislation allowing snc to avoid prosecution? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thedestroyerofworlds Posted February 13, 2019 Share Posted February 13, 2019 3 minutes ago, Ryan Strome said: Why did Trudeau pass legislation allowing snc to avoid prosecution? Same reasons why none of the executives who tanked the economy in 08 saw a single criminal charge. 1 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post OneSeventeen Posted February 13, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted February 13, 2019 (edited) I am so fed up with dynasty politics. Justin Trudeau, Caroline Mulroney, Doug Ford etc. These people have no idea what it's like to live an average life without the privilege of influence and wealth. This kind of corruption isn't a big deal to them. They just consider it wheeling and dealing to further the economy. Which of course will never impact them the way it impacts us because they're insulated by their wealth. Also can we all acknowledge that Justin Trudeau would actually prefer to be a former Prime Minister instead of the current Prime Minister. He just wants to travel the world getting paid to give speeches. He wants to be a political celebrity and is just using the Prime Minister's office as a diving board. Edited February 13, 2019 by OneSeventeen 1 3 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YEGCanuck Posted February 13, 2019 Share Posted February 13, 2019 Just now, OneSeventeen said: I am so fed up with dynasty politics. Justin Trudeau, Caroline Mulroney, Doug Ford etc. These people have no idea what it's like to live an average life without the privilege of influence and wealth. This is kind of corruption isn't a big deal to them. They just call consider it wheeling and dealing to further the economy. Which of course will never impact them the way it impacts us because their insulated by their wealth. Also can we all acknowledge that Justin Trudeau would actually prefer to be a former Prime Minister instead of the current Prime Minister. He just wants to travel the world getting paid to give speeches. He wants to be a political celebrity and is just using the Prime Minister's office as a diving board. Totally agree. I am pissed at any government that does not have the balls to demand accountability. The government in this case is essentially admitting corporate corruption is an acceptable practice because they need the votes in Quebec is a pathetic excuse. 1 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan Strome Posted February 13, 2019 Share Posted February 13, 2019 8 minutes ago, thedestroyerofworlds said: Same reasons why none of the executives who tanked the economy in 08 saw a single criminal charge. O I agree it's just puzzling how Jimmy is down playing this, I'm sure his reaction would be different if this was the Harper government. I think this has the potential to sink his government. He won't let JWR speak on this, why? 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan Strome Posted February 13, 2019 Share Posted February 13, 2019 9 minutes ago, OneSeventeen said: I am so fed up with dynasty politics. Justin Trudeau, Caroline Mulroney, Doug Ford etc. These people have no idea what it's like to live an average life without the privilege of influence and wealth. This is kind of corruption isn't a big deal to them. They just call consider it wheeling and dealing to further the economy. Which of course will never impact them the way it impacts us because their insulated by their wealth. Also can we all acknowledge that Justin Trudeau would actually prefer to be a former Prime Minister instead of the current Prime Minister. He just wants to travel the world getting paid to give speeches. He wants to be a political celebrity and is just using the Prime Minister's office as a diving board. I would gladly welcome him to step down. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alflives Posted February 13, 2019 Share Posted February 13, 2019 11 minutes ago, thedestroyerofworlds said: Same reasons why none of the executives who tanked the economy in 08 saw a single criminal charge. I see we are accepting our votes really count for nothing. It matters not which puppets we elect. Their strings are still pulled by the same wealthy elite. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alflives Posted February 13, 2019 Share Posted February 13, 2019 1 minute ago, Ryan Strome said: I would gladly welcome him to step down. And which marionette takes his place? 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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