Former attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould says she’s willing to provide additional testimony to the House of Commons justice committee on the SNC-Lavalin affair.
In a statement, Wilson-Raybould said the government’s order-in-council, which partly waived solicitor-client privilege and cabinet confidentiality to allow her to testify, only applied to her stint as attorney general.
“If that should ever change though, please feel free to reach out,” Wilson-Raybould said.
She added that she would “of course” make herself available to give additional testimony, stating that her previous testimony “was not a complete account but only a detailed summary.”
READ MORE: Trudeau to discuss SNC-Lavalin affair in Thursday morning press conference
Earlier, the Liberal majority voted to debate calling further witnesses at the committee’s next meeting in nearly two weeks.
The date of that meeting is March 19 — federal budget day.
Get breaking National news
Opposition MPs had wanted to call Wilson-Raybould to return to the committee to testify again, along with several officials from the Prime Minister’s Office.
A failed motion also looked at asking Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to waive more of the solicitor-client privilege and obligation to keep cabinet confidences that keep Wilson-Raybould from discussing more details.
WATCH: Scheer says Butts’ statement ‘validated’ Wilson-Raybould’s testimony
Wilson-Raybould’s statement came as the committee wrapped up its hearings with Privy Council Clerk Michael Wernick, who denied that improper influence was ever applied to Wilson-Raybould during her time as attorney general.
Earlier, Gerald Butts, former principal secretary to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, testified and disputed key parts of Wilson-Raybould’s testimony.
Butts said officials merely asked her to “consider a second opinion” on the prosecution of SNC-Lavalin and that the Prime Minister’s Office didn’t inappropriately infringe on her independence.
READ MORE: Headlines from around the world on Trudeau, SNC-Lavalin
The testimony from Wernick and Butts came after Wilson-Raybould, in a Feb. 27 testimony, told the justice committee she came under “consistent and sustained” pressure — including veiled threats — from the PMO, the Privy Council Office and the office of Minister of Finance Bill Morneau to halt the criminal prosecution of SNC-Lavalin.
— With files from the Canadian Press
Comments