Toronto, ON – The Honourable Andrew Scheer, Leader of Canada’s Conservatives and the Official Opposition, issued the following statement on political interference in the prosecution and stayed charges of Vice-Admiral Mark Norman:
“As the Public Prosecution Service of Canada has now confirmed, the documents Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government were fighting tooth and nail to withhold from both prosecutors and Vice-Admiral Norman’s lawyers were the very documents that ended up causing his charges to be stayed.
“This is a profound indictment of the government’s obstruction in this case.
“We know there were attempts to interfere with the original supply ship contract. We know the RCMP was called in when a government investigation failed to reveal who leaked that information. We know government officials used code words to refer to the only man charged in connection with the leak in order to avoid access to information requests. And we know the government stonewalled access to evidence that would eventually exonerate him.
“All of this adds up to a government that was going to incredible lengths to keep the truth hidden from Canadians. Once again, Justin Trudeau has shown a complete disregard for the integrity of the justice system.
“In the coming days, Conservatives will avail themselves of every tool available to us to get the answers Canadians deserve and to hold Justin Trudeau to account for his political interference.”
