The Liberals have foiled a Conservative plan to delay Tuesday鈥檚 budget by forcing up to 40 hours of votes in the House of Commons to protest what the Tories say is a 鈥済ag order鈥� on former justice minister and attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould.
The Conservatives鈥� filibuster-like tactic of scheduling 257 fiscal votes starting on Monday evening will no longer be possible after the Liberals moved the Conservatives鈥� 鈥渙pposition day鈥� from Monday to Wednesday, after the budget is already delivered.
A spokesperson from the office of Leader of the Government in the House of Commons Bardish Chagger confirmed the opposition day had been moved and called the Conservatives鈥� plan a 鈥渟tunt鈥� and accused them of playing 鈥減olitical games.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 clear that Stephen Harper鈥檚 party which shut down Parliament twice when it was in power hasn鈥檛 changed its colours (sic) in Opposition under Andrew Scheer,鈥� the statement goes on.
Earlier in the day, Conservative MP Pierre Poilievre told reporters that Conservatives would 鈥渦se every parliamentary tool in the toolkit to end the coverup and let (Wilson-Raybould) speak.鈥�
Wilson-Raybould testified at the Justice Committee last month that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and other top Liberals pressured her and issued veiled threats related to her decision over to proceed with the prosecution of Montreal-based engineering firm SNC-Lavalin.
Wilson-Raybould has so far been limited by the prime minister from speaking about what occurred after she was shuffled out of her job as attorney general and minister of justice. She has suggested there is more she would say if the government鈥檚 solicitor-client privilege was lifted.
鈥淵ou鈥檒l recall that Justin Trudeau imposed a gag order on Jody Wilson-Raybould with respect to events that occurred after she left the post of attorney general but before she resigned from cabinet,鈥� Poilievre said Sunday. 鈥淭his period is incredibly important in getting to the truth.鈥�
Last week, the Liberal majority on the Justice Committee shut down debate on a motion to have Wilson-Raybould testify again. The motion will now be considered behind closed doors on Tuesday, just as much of Ottawa will be focused on what鈥檚 in the Liberals鈥� budget.
Poilievre said he predicts 鈥渁 massive public backlash if Justin Trudeau tries to cover up this scandal and shut down the investigation into his role in it.鈥�
He said he believes the Liberals will try to use the budget to 鈥渟pray money in all directions in hopes that Canadians will be distracted by the sights of their own money flying at them."
In an interview with CTV鈥檚 Question Period, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said that failing to let Wilson-Raybould give more testimony would amount to 鈥渙bstruction.鈥�
