Jody Wilson-Raybould and Jane Philpott have both been kicked out of the Liberal caucus, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday, moments after their fellow government MPs had gathered on Parliament Hill for an emergency meeting to determine their future with the party.

sa国际传媒淲esa国际传媒檝e taken every effort to address their concerns, and ultimately, if they cansa国际传媒檛 honestly say that they have confidence in this team sa国际传媒� then they cannot be part of this team,sa国际传媒� Trudeau said.

The dissident MPs, both former senior cabinet ministers, risked a civil war within the Liberal party, he said. Thatsa国际传媒檚 how the Liberals lose power and Canada cansa国际传媒檛 afford it, he said.

sa国际传媒淐anadians will view the removal of Jane Philpott and Jody Wilson-Raybould from the Liberal caucus for exactly what it is: A betrayal of justice,sa国际传媒� Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer said. sa国际传媒淓lected officials are supposed to protect individuals who blow the whistle on government misconduct and corruption, not punish them. However, in expelling Ms. Philpott and Ms. Wilson-Raybould from their caucus, they have done exactly that.sa国际传媒�

Wilson-Raybould, whose explosive allegations of political interference by the Prime Ministersa国际传媒檚 Office appear to have deeply imperilled Liberal hopes of holding on to power in this fallsa国际传媒檚 federal election, wrote to her fellow sa国际传媒� now former sa国际传媒� caucus members earlier in the day in hopes of convincing them to let her stay.

But just minutes into Tuesdaysa国际传媒檚 hastily convened meeting, Wilson-Raybould, who stepped down from Trudeausa国际传媒檚 cabinet in February after he shuffled her out of the coveted justice portfolio, made it clear via Twitter that the letter hadnsa国际传媒檛 worked.

I have just been informed by the Prime Minister of Canada that I am removed from the Liberal caucus and as the confirmed Vancouver Granville candidate for the Liberal Party of Canada in the 2019 federal election. More to come...

sa国际传媒� Jody Wilson-Raybould (@Puglaas)

sa国际传媒淚 have just been informed by the prime minister of Canada that I am removed from the Liberal caucus and as the confirmed Vancouver Granville candidate for the Liberal Party of Canada in the 2019 federal election,sa国际传媒� she tweeted.

Minutes later, reporters and cameras were ushered into the caucus room to listen to Trudeau announce that both Wilson-Raybould and Philpott were out.

sa国际传媒淭he trust that previously existed between these two individuals and our team has been broken,sa国际传媒� Trudeau told caucus members.

sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 become clear that Ms. Wilson-Raybould and Dr. Philpott can no longer be part of our Liberal team.sa国际传媒�

The turmoil has roiled the top ranks of the Trudeau government for weeks, impelled by allegations that Wilson-Raybould was improperly pressured by the Prime Ministersa国际传媒檚 Office to intervene in the criminal prosecution of Montreal-based engineering firm SNC-Lavalin.

And it comes on the heels of a fresh uproar over a key phone conversation between the ex-minister and former Privy Council clerk Michael Wernick, the countrysa国际传媒檚 top bureaucrat sa国际传媒� a conversation Wilson-Raybould secretly recorded.

That recording was released Friday as part of her evidence of what Wilson-Raybould calls an intense pressure campaign to persuade her to override a decision to deny SNC-Lavalin a remediation agreement, which would allow the engineering giant to avoid criminal proceedings on corruption and fraud charges.

In the weeks following Wilson-Raybouldsa国际传媒檚 resignation, caucus had grown divided over the question of whether she and Philpott should be allowed to remain as Liberal MPs. Trudeau himself had initially suggested he would be willing to let them stay, saying repeatedly that he was reserving judgment.

But Fridaysa国际传媒檚 release of Wilson-Raybouldsa国际传媒檚 17-minute phone conversation with Wernick sa国际传媒� and the fact she recorded it sa国际传媒� appeared to tip the scales.

READ MORE: Butts, Wilson-Raybould texts show mounting anger, frustration over shuffle

sa国际传媒淚f a politician secretly records a conversation with anyone, itsa国际传媒檚 wrong. When that politician is a cabinet minister secretly recording a public servant, itsa国际传媒檚 wrong. And when that cabinet minister is the attorney general of Canada, secretly recording the clerk of the Privy Council, itsa国际传媒檚 unconscionable.sa国际传媒�

He said he was chosen to be Liberal leader, and then prime minister, because he promised a more unifying style than the Conservatives before him.

sa国际传媒淲e won because we stood together as a team, which was, to be frank, a change from past iterations of this party. The old Liberal party was notorious for infighting. People on the same team used to identify themselves not as Liberals but as hyphenated Liberals,sa国际传媒� he said. sa国际传媒淐ivil wars within parties are incredibly damaging because they signal to Canadians that we care more about ourselves than we do about them.sa国际传媒�

For the sake of unity, he said, Wilson-Raybould and Philpott had to go.

Trudeau finished by swinging into a campaign speech, touting the Liberal record on the environment, the economy and minority rights.

sa国际传媒淭his is what this yearsa国际传媒檚 election is about. This is whatsa国际传媒檚 on the line,sa国际传媒� he said.

In her appeal to her caucusmates, Wilson-Raybould said she rejected the prime ministersa国际传媒檚 pressure on SNC-Lavalin because she was standing up for Liberal values.

sa国际传媒淚 know many of you are angry, hurt, and frustrated. And frankly so am I, and I can only speak for myself,sa国际传媒� Wilson-Raybould wrote in her letter to caucus members.

sa国际传媒淚 am angry, hurt, and frustrated because I feel and believe I was upholding the values that we all committed to. In giving the advice I did, and taking the steps I did, I was trying to help protect the prime minister and the government from a horrible mess.

sa国际传媒淚 am not the one who tried to interfere in sensitive proceedings, I am not the one who made it public, and I am not the one who publicly denied what happened. But I am not going to go over all of the details here again. Enough has been said.sa国际传媒�

Toronto MP John McKay, who was unmoved by Wilson-Raybouldsa国际传媒檚 letter, said hesa国际传媒檚 dismayed by her behaviour and believes she and Philpott are sa国际传媒渏oined at the hip.sa国际传媒� Fellow MP Judy Sgro agreed the letter is sa国际传媒渢oo little, too late.

Infrastructure Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne criticized Wilson-Raybouldsa国际传媒檚 ethics, saying he had never recorded any conversations he had while working as a lawyer. Tourism Minister Melanie Joly called it sa国际传媒渇undamentally wrong.sa国际传媒�

In the call, Wernick repeatedly asked Wilson-Raybould why she was not using all the tools at her disposal on the SNC-Lavalin case. She pushes back, saying she would not override the decision of the director of public prosecutions to pursue a criminal prosecution against SNC-Lavalin for bribery and fraud related to its activities in Libya.

Wernick told her Trudeau was sa国际传媒渜uite determinedsa国际传媒� on the matter and would likely sa国际传媒渇ind a way to get it done one way or another.sa国际传媒�

NDP MP Jenny Kwan said Trudeausa国际传媒檚 move Tuesday was an extension of that attitude sa国际传媒� hesa国际传媒檇 decided he was going to get his way and threw two unco-operative women under the bus, she said.

Wilson-Raybould has said she believes she was moved out of Justice to Veterans Affairs as punishment for refusing to succumb to relentless pressure last fall from Trudeau, his senior staff, Wernick and others to intervene on SNCsa国际传媒檚 behalf. She resigned from cabinet a month later.

Philpott followed suit in early March, citing a loss in confidence in the governmentsa国际传媒檚 handling of the matter.

The Canadian Press

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