Liberal MP Celina Caesar-Chavannes Claps Back at Justin Trudeau over His Non-Apology

A Liberal MP has clapped back at Prime Minister Justin Trudeau following a speech he made Thursday morning about the SNC-Lavalin controversy.

Speaking to reporters, Trudeau said he should have realized there was an “erosion of trust” between his office and former Minister of Justice and Attorney General Jody Wilson-Raybould. However, he maintained that he never pressured Wilson-Raybould to interfere in the prosecution of the Quebec-based engineering firm, which is facing bribery charges.

Trudeau said there were lessons to be learned from the controversy, including lessons about leadership.

“I believe that real leadership is about listening, learning and compassion,” he said. “One of the things central to my leadership is fostering an environment where my ministers, caucus and staff feel comfortable coming to me when they have concerns.”

Quoting that portion of Trudeau’s speech, Liberal MP Celina Caesar-Chavannes tweeted, “I did come to you recently. Twice. Remember your reactions?”

She did not elaborate further.

VICE has reached out to Caesar-Chavannes for comment on her tweet and will update this post if she responds.

Michelle Rempel, Conservative MP for Calgary Nose Hill, tweeted in support of Caesar-Chavannes Thursday.

"Let the 42nd Parliament be known for women’s voices taking firm root. We won’t be used as tokens for political gain, empty virtue signalling, we won’t be quiet, and we won’t be agreeable. We won’t agree on policy, but we will stand and fight for our beliefs and our communities," she tweeted.

Last week, Caesar-Chavannes, the MP for Whitby, Ontario, announced that she would not be seeking re-election this year.

She described it as a “personal decision, based on a number of factors” and said it had nothing to do with the SNC-Lavalin scandal.

Wilson-Raybould and former President of the Treasury Jane Philpott have both resigned from cabinet positions in light of the controversy.

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