Page 8 - ARUBA TODAY

A8 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 3 april 2019
Canada’s ex-attorney general ousted from Trudeau’s caucus

By ROB GILLIES Raybould wrote to col-
Associated Press leagues earlier Tuesday.
TORONTO (AP) — Prime Trudeau has been on the
Minister Justin Trudeau defensive since the Globe
ousted Canada’s former and Mail newspaper re-
attorney general and an- ported Feb. 7 via sources
other ex-minister from the that Trudeau’s staff put
Liberal party caucus Tues- pressure on Wilson-Ray-
day amid a scandal that bould. She denied she was
has rocked his government the source of the story, writ-
in an election year. ing “I am not the one who
Trudeau cited repeated made it public.”
questioning of his leader- The secret recording Wil-
ship as well as the fact that son-Raybould made public
former attorney general shows Wernick telling Wil-
Jody Wilson-Raybould pub- son-Raybould that Trudeau
licized a secretly recorded “is determined, quite firm”
conversation she had with in finding a way to avoid a
Michael Wernick, Cana- prosecution that could put
da’s top civil servant. 9,000 jobs at risk.
Trudeau called that “un- Philpott said neither she
conscionable.” nor Wilson-Raybould initi-
Trudeau also ousted Jane ated the crisis now facing
Philpott, a former Cabinet Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks during a news conference in Ottawa, Ontario, Trudeau and the party.
minister who stepped down Tuesday, April 2, 2019. “Rather than acknowl-
from her role after she said Associated Press edge the obvious — that
she lost confidence in how Wilson-Raybould tweeted in January because she aide and best friend. And it a range of individuals had
the government has han- that Trudeau had removed didn’t give in to pressure has damaged the party for inappropriately attempted
dled the affair. her and she will not be a to enter into a remediation eight weeks. to pressure the former At-
Both Wilson-Raybould and Liberal candidate in the fall agreement with a Cana- In a letter released earlier torney General in relation
Philpott had remained as election. dian company accused of Tuesday, Wilson-Raybould to a prosecutorial decision
members of Trudeau’s par- “What I can say is that I hold bribing officials in Libya. pleaded with her col- — and apologize for what
ty in Parliament after resign- my head high & that I That potential solution leagues to remain and occurred, a decision was
ing from Cabinet but kept can look myself in the mir- would avoid a potential acknowledged they are made to attempt to deny
making remarks that dam- ror knowing I did what I was criminal conviction that enraged but said she was the obvious — to attack
aged the prime minister required to do and what would bar engineering gi- “trying to help protect the Jody Wilson-Raybould’s
and the party. needed to be done based ant SNC-Lavalin from re- Prime Minister and the gov- credibility and attempt to
The two were two high- on principles & values ceiving any federal gov- ernment from a horrible blame her,” Philpott said in
profile women ministers in that must always transcend ernment business for a de- mess.” posting on social media.
Trudeau’s Cabinet, half of party,” she tweeted. “I cade. “Now I know many of you “That approach now ap-
which are women. Wilson- have no regrets. The company is a major are angry, hurt, and frus- pears to be focused on
Raybould was Canada’s I spoke truth as I will contin- employer with 9,000 em- trated. And frankly so am whether Jody Wilson-Ray-
first indigenous justice min- ue to do.” ployees in Canada and I, and I can only speak for bould should have audio-
ister. Wilson-Raybould believes more than 50,000 world- myself. I am angry, hurt, taped the Clerk instead
Trudeau and Liberal law- she was demoted from wide. and frustrated because I of the circumstances that
makers met Tuesday eve- her role as attorney gen- The scandal has led to mul- feel and believe I was up- prompted Jody Wilson-Ray-
ning to discuss Wilson-Ray- eral and justice minister to tiple resignations, including holding the values that we bould to feel compelled to
bould and Philpott. veterans’ affairs minister Gerry Butts, Trudeau’s top all committed to,” Wilson- do so.” q

EU’s Juncker concerned over Italy’s slowing economy

Associated Press Italian growth at 1.2% for risks weakening work incen-
MILAN (AP) — EU Commis- 2019. Italy has since fallen tives and creating poverty
sion President Jean-Claude into a technical recession, traps given the relatively
Juncker said Tuesday he and various bodies have high payments compared
is concerned over Italy’s lowered growth estimates with similar schemes in oth-
slowing economy, and ex- for the year, including Or- er member states.
pressed hope that the gov- ganization for Economic Conte said that his govern-
ernment would take action Cooperation and Devel- ment this week would ap-
to accelerate growth. opment, which says Italy’s prove a decree “with mea-
“Italian authorities must economy is likely to con- sures that will give impulse
make supplementary ef- tract 0.2% this year. to growth.” But he also said
forts to keep growth alive In its report this week, the that the slowdown was ex-
in Italy,” Juncker said at a OECD called for bold re- pected, “and that is why
joint press conference with forms to tackle low produc- we conceived of a budget
Premier Giuseppe Conte. tivity as well as social and that wants to follow expan-
Juncker noted that when regional inequalities. sive but responsible poli-
the EU approved Italy’s European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker and Italian The OECD was especially cies, approving measures
controversial budget ex- Premier Giuseppe Conte, right, hug each other at the end of a critical of the basic income that the country needed
panding social spending, press conference following their meeting, at Palazzo Chigi, in scheme backed by the for too long to re-establish
Rome, Tuesday, April 2, 2019.
the commission projected Associated Press 5-Star Movement, saying it social equality.”q