Former cabinet ministers Jody Wilson-Raybould and Jane Philpott will seek re-election as Independent candidates in the fall election campaign.
The MPs made their announcements at separate, back-to-back news conferences in their ridings, nearly two months after being expelled from the Liberal caucus.
In her Vancouver Granville riding this morning, Wilson-Raybould said taking a non-partisan approach is the best way to change the way politics is done in Canada.
She said she decided to seek re-election after hearing encouragement from people in the riding.
“With your support, I am confident that running as an independent is the best way to go about it at this time, and the best way to transform our political culture,” she said.
Wilson-Raybould said she will work with like-minded parties on issues like the environment. She said she believes the best way to tackle the big issues confronting Canada is through collective efforts.
“In this reality, there is less room for overt partisanship in our evolving democracy,” she said. “Rising to these challenges requires Ottawa to operate more openly and transparently in the spirit of non-partisanship with increased cooperation.”
CBC News had confirmed the politicians, who are now Independent MPs, will not join the Green Party despite invitations from the party’s leader, Elizabeth May, to seek re-election under the Green banner.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expelled Wilson-Raybould and Philpott from the Liberal caucus on April 2, saying trust with the two former cabinet ministers had been irreparably broken as the government worked to beat back allegations that officials inappropriately pressured Wilson-Raybould to intervene in the SNC-Lavalin criminal case.
Soured relations with the two MPs came to a head when Wilson-Raybould released a secretly taped audio recording of a conversation she had with Michael Wernick, who has since retired as clerk of the Privy Council.
Trudeau delivered news of the expulsions to the national Liberal caucus during an open, televised meeting, saying the two could not stay on because they could not express confidence in the caucus.
“The trust that previously existed between these two individuals and our team has been broken, whether it’s taping conversations without consent, or repeatedly expressing a lack of confidence in our government or me personally as leader,” he said at the time.
“It’s become clear that Ms. Wilson-Raybould and Dr. Philpott can no longer remain part of our Liberal team.”
Inappropriate political pressure
The political saga has been unfolding since Feb. 7, when the Globe and Mail first reported that Wilson-Raybould felt she had faced inappropriate political pressure on the SNC-Lavalin criminal prosecution decision.
The Montreal-based engineering and construction company had been seeking a remediation agreement to avoid a trial, but Wilson-Raybould had decided not to overturn the public prosecutor’s decision to proceed with prosecution.
During an inquiry by the Commons justice committee, Wilson-Raybould testified she faced “veiled threats” and inappropriate pressure by the Prime Minister’s Office and other government officials to change her mind.
After her expulsion, Wilson-Raybould said she had no regrets and “spoke the truth.”
‘Profoundly disheartening’
“What I can say is that I hold my head high, and that I can look myself in the mirror knowing I did what I was required to do and what needed to be done based on principles and values that must always transcend party,” she said on Twitter.
Philpott, who was considered one of the most respected and competent members in Trudeau’s cabinet, said the development was “profoundly disheartening.”
“Rather than acknowledge the obvious — that a range of individuals had inappropriately attempted to pressure the former attorney general in relation to a prosecutorial decision — and apologize for what occurred, a decision was made to attempt to deny the obvious — to attack Jody Wilson-Raybould’s credibility and attempt to blame her,” she wrote in a Facebook post after she was kicked out of the Liberal caucus.