It's an issue that the entire concern of Canadians across the country in the last few days: the SNC-Lavalin controversy surrounds the current federal government and former Attorney General Jody Wilson-Raybould.

For those who are unfamiliar with the issue, here's a quick recap:

  • SNC Lavalin Group Inc. is a Montreal based company that provides engineering, procuring, and construction services for many different sectors, including oil and gas, mining, clean power generation, and Environment and Water projects. They have offices in over 50 different countries and operates in over 160 others. Employs 50,000 people worldwide including 175 in Regina and Saskatoon, and a number of people in southeast Saskatchewan in connection with carbon capture and storage at Boundary Dam.

  • In February of 2015, the RCMP laid corruption charges on SNC-Lavalin for alleged bribery regarding business dealings in Libya.

  • October of 2018 - The Liberals win the federal election.

  • November of 2015 - Jody Wilson-Raybould is named Minister of Justice and the Attorney General.

  • March of 2018 - Liberal government puts forward a bill that includes changes to the Criminal Code to allow 'Remediation Agreements' for companies regarding past transgressions, which would allow accused corporations to enter a sort of plea-bargain to avoid criminal proceedings in court, SNC-Lavalin lobbied for this change. The bill is along the same lines of laws in place in the United States and the United Kingdom

  • Spring of 2018 - SNC-Lavalin starts building a remediation case even though the bill has not been passed at the time, including contacting Public Prosecution Lawyers.

  • May of 2018 - SNC-Lavalin also has a meeting with Conservative Party Leader Andrew Scheer, thought to be an attempt to get the Conservatives in support of the remediation bill, Conservatives refuse to comment on what was discussed.

  • September 2018 - The bill allowing remediation agreements comes into effect

  • October 2018 - It's confirmed in writing that the prosecution (overseen by the Attorney General Wilson-Raybould) will not meet with SNC-Lavalin to negotiate remediation, SNC-Lavalin challenges in Federal Court, meaning SNC-Lavalin will face the full extent of the charges brought before them

  • January 14, 2019 - Wilson-Raybould is moved from her position as Attorney General as part of Trudeau's cabinet shuffle

  • February 7, 2019 - An article stating unnamed sources says Wilson-Raybould was moved from her position because she refused heavy push back from many people in the Liberal Government regarding her decision not to meet with SNC-Lavalin in remediation.

  • February 11-12 -  Ethics Commissioner Mario Dion starts an investigation into the allegations from the article, Wilson-Raybould resigns from position as Minister of Veterans Affairs

  • February 19 - Wilson-Raybould speaks at cabinet after resigning about the pressure from the Liberal Government she faced in her decision. The contents of her speech and the means of it are confidential and have not been released.

  • February 27 - Wilson-Raybould testifies in front of the justice committee.

 With all that out of the way, our local M.P. Dr. Robert Kitchen shares his thoughts on the issue.

"It's been going on for three or four weeks and the details that we heard yesterday are as shocking as they are corrupt. Over the four months, the ex-minister was subjected to a coordinated, consorted, consistent, and sustained effort to potentially interfere in an exercise of prosecutorial discretion."

During the events listed above, there are many confirmed meetings between the accused company and members of the federal government, as well as meetings between those members and Wilson-Raybould while she was still the acting Attorney General.

"It's just amazing, what she revealed yesterday, she talked about ten meetings and ten phone calls involving somewhere around eleven senior government officials including the Prime Minister, the Finance Minister, the Privy Council Clerk, the Chief of Staff, all involved in trying to change her position."

The Attorney General, while put into power by the Federal Government, is supposed to stay unbiased and outside of the cabinet when it comes to any decisions made federally and to stick to the law as much as possible with the group she leads towards any decision being made. Seeing the pressure from the Federal Government towards Wilson-Raybould, Dr. Kitchen says the answer for what Prime Minister Trudeau must do is clear.

"I truly believe the Prime Minister has lost his moral authority to govern this great country of ours. He must resign. The RCMP needs to immediately open an investigation on the numerous examples of potential criminal activity of that were indicated in the discussions with the committee yesterday."

Kitchen goes on to add that the Conservative Party will be looking at their options on how to proceed, but says there's a possibility that we may see them push for the Prime Minister's resignation as well as moving the election scheduled for October ahead in the year.