First Nations leaders praise Wilson-Raybould but don’t take sides against Trudeau
OTTAWA — Several Indigenous leaders say former attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould was deeply brave in her explosive testimony on the SNC-Lavalin affair, but they’re steering clear of criticizing the Trudeau government.
Wilson-Raybould had been the highest-ranking Indigenous person ever in the Canadian government, but she was demoted from the justice ministry to veterans affairs in January and quit the cabinet in mid-February.
On Wednesday, she told the House of Commons justice committee she faced relentless, inappropriate pressure from Trudeau and several top aides, the Privy Council Office and the office of Finance Minister Bill Morneau, asking her to politically interfere in a criminal prosecution of SNC-Lavalin.
The Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN) executive issued a statement of support Thursday, applauding Wilson-Raybould for displaying ethics and integrity and calling her a role model for all First Nations and future generations.