Liberal Minister says Jody Wilson-Raybould was “deceptive” & “unethical” when recording Wernick

Patty Hajdu, the Minister of Employment, Workforce, and Labour has called the recording released by Jody Wilson-Raybould “unethical” and “deceptive”.

“If you’re going to record a conversation and it’s between colleagues, I  think it’s the responsible, ethical thing to do to advise the person on the other end of the phone that you are recording,” said Hajdu.

The call, which was released last week was a part of the evidence package, Wilson-Raybould recently submitted to the Justice Committee in the ongoing SNC-Lavalin political interference scandal.

Alongside text messages, the call implicates several members of the Prime Minister’s Office, including Wernick himself, in conducting inappropriate pressure to have the former justice minister intervene on behalf of the Montreal company.

In the call, Wernick consistently calls for Wilson-Raybould to utilize a deferred prosecution agreement despite her constant refusal and claims that the conversation was inappropriate.

Wilson-Raybould has called the recording an “extraordinary” measure but stands by her decision.

“I, personally, don’t feel comfortable, personally, with a colleague who may be recording me without my knowledge,” continued Hajdu.

In the latest update on the scandal, former Principal Secretary to Justin Trudeau, Gerald Butts has submitted his own evidence to the committee, which is expected to go public shortly.