Gerald Butts resigns as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's principal secretary

[ccc]

In a major shakeup to the highest ranks of the Prime Minister's Office, Gerald Butts resigned Monday as Justin Trudeau's principal secretary.

The bombshell departure — Butts, along with chief of staff Katie Telford, are the two most senior staffers in Trudeau's inner circle — comes amid allegations that senior members of the PMO pressured former justice minister Jody Wilson-Raybould to help Quebec-based multinational engineering firm SNC-Lavalin avoid criminal prosecution on bribery and fraud charges in relation to contracts in Libya.

In a statement to reporters, Butts said he categorically denies allegations that he or anyone else in the PMO put this sort of pressure on Wilson-Raybould. He said the accusation is "simply not true."

"At all times, I and those around me acted with integrity and a singular focus on the best interests of all Canadians," Butts said Monday.

"Canadians are rightly proud of their public institutions. They should be, because they work. But the fact is that this accusation exists. It cannot and should not take one moment away from the vital work the prime minister and his office is doing for all Canadians.

"My reputation is my responsibility and that is for me to defend. It is in the best interests of the office and its important work for me to step away," he said.

It was not immediately clear who would replace Butts.

Wilson-Raybould announced last week she was quitting the Liberal cabinet just days after a Globe and Mail report claimed she was pressured to direct the Public Prosecution Service of Canada to sign a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) — a legal tool resembling a plea deal — with SNC-Lavalin.

The prime minister has denied any wrongdoing.

The House of Commons justice committee has agreed to study the matter. Opposition members of that body have insisted that Butts should be among the witnesses called to testify about what exactly went on inside the PMO on the SNC-Lavalin matter. Last week, Liberal members defeated an NDP motion that would have compelled Butts and Wilson-Raybould to appear.

Wilson-Raybould has taken the highly unusual step of retaining Thomas Cromwell, a recently retired Supreme Court justice, as her legal counsel as the scandal enters a new phase.

In a tweet, Trudeau said Butts served Canada with "integrity, sage advice and devotion." He thanked the former staffer for his service and "continued friendship."

Move raises 'even more questions,' Scheer says
Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer said the Butts resignation is the "clearest indication yet that there is much more to the SNC-Lavalin affair than the prime minister has so far admitted."

Rather than wipe the slate clean, Scheer said Butts' departure "does not in any way settle this matter. In fact, it presents even more questions that must be answered."

Scheer said the staff changeover is sign the prime minister is "desperate to keep the truth hidden."

The Tory leader renewed his call for Trudeau to waive solicitor-client privilege and let his former justice minister speak freely about what is said to have transpired.

Trudeau loses long-time political ally
In addition to the political partnership, the prime minister is close friends with Butts — a relationship that dates back to their time as students at McGill University in Montreal where they were members of the campus debating club.

Born in Glace Bay, N.S., a coal-mining town on Cape Breton Island, Butts worked on public policy in Ontario before becoming a senior staffer under former Liberal premier Dalton McGuinty at Queen's Park.

While in provincial politics, Butts crafted policies designed to bolster the party's progressive credentials. Among the actions, the government phased out coal-fired power plants, implemented full-day kindergarten and increased Ontario's minimum wage.

After working as a campaigner at the World Wildlife Fund, Butts then made the leap to federal politics and helped chart Trudeau's political future as leader of the Liberal Party and later prime minister.

The prime minister thanked Butts and Telford by name after clinching power in the 2015 federal election.

"Katie and Gerry are two of the smartest, toughest, hardest-working people you will find anywhere," Trudeau said at his Montreal-area victory party on the night the Liberals captured a majority government.

"They share with me the conviction that politics doesn't have to be negative and personal to be successful."

Trudeau chats with Butts after the Liberal leadership debate in Mississauga, Ont., on Feb. 16, 2013. (Chris Young/Canadian Press)
Praised by his allies as a brilliant mind, and vilified by Liberal foes as the political puppet master behind the prime minister, Butts said Monday he is proud of his time as Trudeau's right-hand man.

"While it is fashionable sometimes in some quarters to denigrate politicians and public servants, my experience is that the women and men who serve Canadians in elected office and the professional public service are honest, decent, hard-working people who put service of country beyond self every day," he said.

A well-known policy wonk, Butts has been a vocal defender of the government's Canada Child Benefit and an advocate for carbon pricing as a solution to climate change.

He was also intimately involved in the NAFTA renegotiation efforts — working closely with U.S. President Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, in particular — that produced a new tripartite trade agreement last fall.

In his resignation letter, Butts said he hoped fighting global warming "becomes the collective, non-partisan, urgent effort that science clearly says is required. I hope that happens soon."

Butts' past comments on the energy industry — said before he made the leap to Trudeau's political team — have provoked the ire of oilpatch boosters.

评论有意思。

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/gerald-butts-resigns-pmo-1.5023675

 

[Pontiac1998]

说的比唱的好听

 

[肥猫]

看来跟那啥灵扯上关系了。

 

[rottenmelon]

这哥们儿是损友啊……当初从土狼多搬到窝村搬家费12.5万那个

 

[ccc]

The following letter was released Monday by Gerry Butts on his resignation as principal secretary to the prime minister:

I have resigned as Principal Secretary to The Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, PC, MP, Prime Minister of Canada. He has accepted my resignation.

Recently, anonymous sources have alleged that I pressured the former Attorney General, The Honourable Jody Wilson-Raybould, to assist SNC-Lavalin with being considered for a deferred prosecution agreement. I categorically deny the accusation that I or anyone else in his office pressured Ms. Wilson-Raybould. We honoured the unique role of the Attorney General. At all times, I and those around me acted with integrity and a singular focus on the best interests of all Canadians.

The Prime Minister of Canada’s Office is much larger and more important than any of its staff. I have served it to the best of my abilities, and I have at all times given the Prime Minister free and unfettered advice. I have served the public interest, not the interests of any individual or any narrow private interest of any kind, at any time. Life is full of uncertainties, but I am absolutely certain of that.

Any accusation that I or the staff put pressure on the Attorney General is simply not true. Canadians are rightly proud of their public institutions. They should be, because they work. But the fact is that this accusation exists. It cannot and should not take one moment away from the vital work the Prime Minister and his office is doing for all Canadians. My reputation is my responsibility and that is for me to defend. It is in the best interests of the office and its important work for me to step away.

I want to say a word about my relationship with Ms. Wilson-Raybould. I encouraged her to run for the Liberal Party of Canada, and worked hard to support her as a candidate and then Cabinet Minister. From my perspective, our relationship has always been defined by mutual respect, candour and an honest desire to work together.

On a personal note, I wish to thank the Prime Minister for the opportunity to work with him, his Cabinet and the Liberal Caucus. They are great people who are dedicated to improving their country. I also want to thank my colleague, Katie Telford. The last seven years simply do not happen without her. Nobody knows that more than I do. And to my colleagues in the PMO, it has been the highest honour of my professional life to have worked together with all of you on behalf of all Canadians. I wish them all well, and they have my full support.

I also need to say this (and I know it’s a non sequitur). Our kids and grandkids will judge us on one issue above all others. That issue is climate change. I hope the response to it becomes the collective, non-partisan, urgent effort that science clearly says is required. I hope that happens soon.

Every hard problem requires a thoughtful, collaborative solution from the country it affects. Those solutions in turn depend on good, hard-working people who devote their time and energy to public service. Canada has those people in abundance. While it is fashionable sometimes in some quarters to denigrate politicians and public servants, my experience is that the women and men who serve Canadians in elected office and the professional public service are honest, decent, hard-working people who put service of country beyond self every day. Life is many days, and there are hard days in public life, but there are no bad ones. I hope I did the job in a way that would have made my parents proud and will make my children consider public service.

 

[27149]

principal secretary中文怎么翻？

 

[Jay Wang]

principal secretary中文怎么翻？

大秘

 

[cathlethorpe]

路透社2月19日消息，近日来，加拿大总理特鲁多办公室被指责向前司法部长施压，协助建筑公司加拿大拉瓦林集团（SNC-Lavalin Group Inc）避开刑事检控。在此背景之下，特鲁多首席秘书杰拉尔德·巴茨（Gerald Butts）当地时间周一突然宣布辞职。

　　报道说，杰拉尔德·巴茨周一在一份声明中否认向前司法部长雷布尔德施压，称“我或者工作人员对司法部长施压并不是真的”。他表示，相关指控干扰了特鲁多总理正在进行的重要工作，他的离开符合总理办公室的最大利益。

　　特鲁多已经接受巴茨的辞呈，并形容他以“正直、睿智建议和忠诚”为国家做出了贡献。他在推文中说：“我要谢谢他的服务和持续的友谊。”

 

[parkdale]

路透社2月19日消息，近日来，加拿大总理特鲁多办公室被指责向前司法部长施压，协助建筑公司加拿大拉瓦林集团（SNC-Lavalin Group Inc）避开刑事检控。在此背景之下，特鲁多首席秘书杰拉尔德·巴茨（Gerald Butts）当地时间周一突然宣布辞职。

　　报道说，杰拉尔德·巴茨周一在一份声明中否认向前司法部长雷布尔德施压，称“我或者工作人员对司法部长施压并不是真的”。他表示，相关指控干扰了特鲁多总理正在进行的重要工作，他的离开符合总理办公室的最大利益。

　　特鲁多已经接受巴茨的辞呈，并形容他以“正直、睿智建议和忠诚”为国家做出了贡献。他在推文中说：“我要谢谢他的服务和持续的友谊。”

　　报道说，杰拉尔德·巴茨现年47岁，与特鲁多相识超过25年，是特鲁多的首席私人秘书。巴茨被广泛认为是帮助特鲁多所属自由党2015年大选获胜的重要人物之一。

　　根据媒体此前报道，在杰拉尔德·巴茨宣布辞职前，由司法部长转任退伍军人事务部长雷布尔德于12日称“已向总理提交了辞职信”。

　　路透社报道说，雷布尔德辞职前，加拿大媒体《环球邮报》曾报道说，特鲁多办公室的官员要求她让加拿大拉瓦林集团交罚款，而不是受到贿赂利比亚官员的指控。

　　雷布尔德自2015年11月起一直是加拿大司法部长兼总检察长，直到今年1月14日，在内阁改组时转任退伍军人事务部长，这被加拿大媒体认为是“降职”。

　　特鲁多11日曾表示，《环球邮报》报道的指控不实，在此案中，现任和前任司法部长在做决定前都未曾接受过他或他办公室的指令。

 

[小地主]

自由党可以考虑拿掉小特鲁多的问题了。。其实这并不是什么坏事。。甚至是一个自我纠正的开始。

 

[jy]

替罪羊吗？

 

[ccc]

Editorial: Gerald Butts bows out over SNC-Lavalin affair
Ottawa Citizen Editorial Board
Updated: February 18, 2019

A young Gerald Butts and Justin Trudeau on the steps of the Arts Building at McGill University. (Photo courtesy Gerald Butts,) OTTwp

“Any accusation that I or the staff put pressure on the Attorney General is simply not true,” wrote now-former principal secretary to the prime minister Gerald Butts in his startling resignation statement Monday. Accepting the resignation, which centres on the deepening SNC-Lavalin/Jody Wilson-Raybould affair, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau praised his former top adviser and close friend, saying Butts had served with “integrity, sage advice and devotion.”

What’s going on here? According to Butts, he quit because anonymous sources accuse him of pressuring Wilson-Raybould, when she was still justice minister, to help SNC-Lavalin obtain a remediation agreement on corruption charges. But, Butts writes, “I categorically deny the accusation that I or anyone else in this office pressured Ms. Wilson-Raybould.”

If so, why step down? Why not simply make a categorical denial, defend the rest of the prime ministerial staff (as his statement does), then willingly appear before any parliamentary committee or independent inquiry that wants to know more? There are key pieces missing here.

Absent more facts, one might think Butts wants to deflect attention away from the prime minister in this sordid saga. That won’t work: The principal secretary’s resignation will only lead many to conclude the PMO is out of control on a crisis that began less than two weeks ago and that has seen the prime minister lurch from partial explanations to half-baked excuses to occasional incoherence. We must know more.

This is not the first time a key political aide has fallen on his sword, of course, but Canadians may not be aware of just how close the relationship is between Butts and Trudeau. It is their friendship that makes the resignation so extraordinary.

Gerald Butts looks on during a press conference on Parliament Hill in Ottawa In April, 2014. Sean Kilpatrick / THE CANADIAN PRESS

The two met more than 25 years ago, at McGill University, and became fast friends. In an interview with the Huffington Post some years ago, Butts said the friendship was based on the usual things that bond young men together: discussions about girls, sports and studies. Politics would only come into it much later. Trudeau became a teacher; Butts went off to Ontario Liberal leader Dalton McGuinty’s office as a policy adviser.

There, he wrote much of the platform McGuinty campaigned on to win the 2003 Ontario election. Butts came to be seen as a power-broker in the new premier’s office, which centralized decision-making in ways similar to how the PMO operates in modern times.

Joining Team Trudeau in 2012, Butts resumed his role as an articulate and thoughtful friend whose advice the soon-to-be prime minister trusted implicitly. One early instance: As the Citizen reported in a 2014-15 profile of Butts, when Trudeau blurted out, unplanned, his support for legalized marijuana, it was Butts who turned the thought into an actual policy plank for the election that Trudeau went on to win.

As a top backroom operative, Butts was clearly capable of getting his hands dirty. “He’s not in the priesthood, he’s in politics. And politics is a blood sport,” former Ontario Progressive Conservative adviser Leslie Noble told the Citizen in 2014.

We can assume Butts practised that blood sport as well as any top aide. But he is adamant he didn’t do so with Wlson-Raybould, Indeed, he writes that their relationship “has always been defined by mutual respect, candour and an honest desire to work together.”

“Candour” is an interesting word to use in an affair now choking in rumour and innuendo. The Butts resignation makes nothing clearer. It is time to hear from Wilson-Raybould.

 

[9981]

看到这个新闻， 我开始同情特朗普了

 

[阿土仔]

土豆就是前台跑堂的。优点是三观正，阳光，有老爹人气遗产。按剧本演，不要自我发挥就行。对这届政府评价的是整体班子，土豆不丟分就ok

终究还是戏子，不是总理。加拿大的人啊，唉！

 

[阿土仔]

要求不了这么多了。三观正很重要，选出个象福娃、川普这种又蠢又坏的，历史倒退我们小人物也不计较，但太影响每天的观感了，不好。

你觉得他们坏是你个人的感觉，也可能他们触及了你个人的利益。总体来说我认为他们是有理念、干实事的人，并非口若悬河的政客。