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July 24th, 2020

Reality Check: What Liberals say of Liberals breaking the rules

Today, a La Presse article quoted a few people who were upset with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Finance Minister Bill Morneau for breaking the rules for their wealthy friends.

Those people were Liberal MPs.

See what they had to say:

“I am deeply outraged by the hypocrisy of the “Do as I say, not as I do” attitude. Being where we are is a clear reflection of people who consider themselves to be above the rules that apply to ordinary people. The icing on the cake of hypocrisy and complacency was that the Minister of Finance, a Minister of the Crown, was offered sponsored travel (which he never declared), when it is strictly forbidden by the Code, and all of us, backbenchers, would have been mercilessly “fired” if it had happened to us,” said a Liberal MP.

"The $41,366 cheque written by Bill Morneau the same day he appeared in Committee poses a perception problem. Because 'for many Canadians, $41,000 is an annual salary, if not more than their annual salary,' ” said another Liberal MP.

“Things were going well, we'd just almost made a clear round, and we shot ourselves in the foot... and who's that from? It's still coming from high up, like with the Aga Khan, like with SNC-Lavalin. And then it's another woman [Minister Bardish Chagger] who ends up being pointed at,” said another Liberal MP.

“Like many of my colleagues, supporters and fellow citizens, the remaining question is a simple one: 'Where is our PM's common sense?' A question that inevitably leads to doubts about his ability to lead ... and for me, it is the most frightening question,” said another Liberal MP.

NDP Ethics Critic Charlie Angus:

“Canadians are tired of seeing the Prime Minister and the Liberal government focus on helping their well-connected friends instead of helping people.

Even Liberal MPs are tired of seeing their Prime Minister break the rules for his wealthy friends.

This is a pattern of behavior with the Liberal government. One set of rules for themselves, and a different set of rules for everyone else.

And even Liberal MPs are sick of it.”