Reuters, Ottawa :
The leader of Canada’s opposition Conservative Party said on Sunday that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau threatened to sue him for libel over statements made about a scandal that has dogged Trudeau and his ruling Liberal Party for two months.
The Liberals have been in turmoil since former Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould said in February she had been inappropriately pressured to ensure that construction company SNC-Lavalin Group Inc escape a corruption trial.
In a bid to quell the crisis that has hurt his chances for re-election in October, Trudeau last week expelled from the Liberal caucus Wilson-Raybould and former Treasury Board chief Jane Philpott, who also has criticized the handling of the SNC-Lavalin affair.
On Sunday, Conservative leader Andrew Scheer released a letter he said he received a week ago from a lawyer representing Trudeau. It referred to statements made by the opposition leader on Facebook on March 29, which the letter called “beyond the pale of fair debate” and “libelous.”
The letter is to be “treated as a notice” and will be referred to “in any subsequent action,” it said.
The Conservatives have repeatedly accused Liberals of trying to “interfere in ongoing court proceedings,” and have sent a letter to federal police urging them to launch a criminal investigation.
In response to the opposition leader’s comments, the prime minister’s office said in a statement on Sunday: “Andrew Scheer and the Conservatives have repeatedly made false and defamatory statements. We put him on notice that there are consequences for making completely false and libelous statements.”
Scheer said the prime minister’s complaints were “without merit,” adding he hoped the libel case was brought “immediately” because it would mean Trudeau would have to testify publicly and under oath.
The leader of Canada’s opposition Conservative Party said on Sunday that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau threatened to sue him for libel over statements made about a scandal that has dogged Trudeau and his ruling Liberal Party for two months.
The Liberals have been in turmoil since former Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould said in February she had been inappropriately pressured to ensure that construction company SNC-Lavalin Group Inc escape a corruption trial.
In a bid to quell the crisis that has hurt his chances for re-election in October, Trudeau last week expelled from the Liberal caucus Wilson-Raybould and former Treasury Board chief Jane Philpott, who also has criticized the handling of the SNC-Lavalin affair.
On Sunday, Conservative leader Andrew Scheer released a letter he said he received a week ago from a lawyer representing Trudeau. It referred to statements made by the opposition leader on Facebook on March 29, which the letter called “beyond the pale of fair debate” and “libelous.”
The letter is to be “treated as a notice” and will be referred to “in any subsequent action,” it said.
The Conservatives have repeatedly accused Liberals of trying to “interfere in ongoing court proceedings,” and have sent a letter to federal police urging them to launch a criminal investigation.
In response to the opposition leader’s comments, the prime minister’s office said in a statement on Sunday: “Andrew Scheer and the Conservatives have repeatedly made false and defamatory statements. We put him on notice that there are consequences for making completely false and libelous statements.”
Scheer said the prime minister’s complaints were “without merit,” adding he hoped the libel case was brought “immediately” because it would mean Trudeau would have to testify publicly and under oath.
