The rule of law spoken of in the Charter Preamble indicates that all Canadian citizens—great or small—are to be treated equally by Canada’s justice system. Recent revelations about a possible kid-gloves treatment for SNC-Lavalin, and possible interference with the former Justice Minister’s work, indicate that the noble goals of the Charter are not being upheld by our Prime Minister, who should be using his position to protect the integrity of our justice system and the rule of law.

The basic story emerging is that the PMO sought to pressure Jody Wilson-Raybould, the PM’s hard-working former Justice Minister, encouraging her to influence the public prosecution office to drop charges against SNC-Lavalin, a huge Quebec-based company accused of corruption and fraud in its dealings with Libya. In January, Ms. Wilson-Raybould was shuffled from her post at Justice to a lower-profile role in charge of Veterans Affairs. Whether or not this was punishment for failing to cooperate with the PMO is not yet clear. The Prime Minister has issued a sort of denial and Ms. Wilson-Raybould has been careful in her own statements, leaving plenty of room for speculation. What she has said, loudly and clearly, is that there should never be any perception of impropriety in these matters and for many, what she has left unsaid is speaking volumes.

For pro-life and family advocates, former Justice Minister and Attorney General Jody Wilson-Raybould has not always been on our side. It was she who tabled Bill C-16, adding sexual orientation and gender identity to Canada’s human rights legislation. It was Jody Wilson-Raybould who tabled legislation legalizing marijuana in spite of health and safety concerns and in spite of foreseen enforcement challenges. She voted—along with her Liberal colleagues—in favour of MP Iqra Khalid’s M-103, the so-called Anti-Islamophobia Motion. As Justice Minister, she tabled C-14 (Assisted Suicide). And, of course, she voted AGAINST MP Cathy Wagantall’s C-225 (Cassie and Molly’s Law), which would have made it illegal to harm a child in the womb against its mother’s wishes.

In short, Jody Wilson-Raybould has been a staunch supporter of Justin Trudeau’s Liberal policies for a very long time and her words and actions as Justice Minister have further eroded Canada’s social environment. She has been used by the PM to push his radical agenda and—until now—has walked in lock-step with his cadre of committed loyalists. Her unique status as Canada’s first indigenous woman to serve as Justice Minister has given her a relatively unhindered pathway and she has acted energetically to advance the causes that she apparently believes in.

All that aside, for the PM, through the PMO, to try to influence her to bend the rules in favour of SNC-Lavalin and their generous support of the Liberals is in itself criminal. It raises the spectre of government-controlled judges and rubber-stamped corporate business plans. If criminal charges can be dropped for one’s friends, there is no end of influence-peddling and behind-the-scenes corporate manipulation that can follow.

It is doubtful that her successor, also hand-picked by the PM, will tread any different course. That is, unless he is more “malleable” when it comes to protecting the PM’s corporate friends. Perhaps this will blow over and no evidence of meddling will be found. But Canadians deserve to know if the PM is tampering with the justice system.

We in the CHP call for a public inquiry to clear the air. If the PM was in any way involved in seeking to pervert the course of justice and to protect his friends from being prosecuted for their crimes, he should resign. To remove the Justice Minister from her post for doing her job is the shabbiest sort of intimidation. Until now, Mr. Trudeau’s scandals have been centred around his self-serving and arrogant approach to issues of national importance. This accusation of meddling with justice—if found to be true, should prompt Canadians to throw off the yoke of Liberal corruption in the General Election this fall.

We in the CHP are, of course, dedicated to the pursuit of justice and the rule of law. No person or corporation is above the law. That includes the Prime Minister. For a return to justice and morality, please join us at chp.ca and help us put Life, Family, Freedom, Justice and Fiscal Responsibility on the ballot in your district in 2019.