Image Credit: The Canadian Press
Political Mavericks

Wilson-Raybould and Philpott to run as independents in fall election campaign

May 27, 2019 | 10:28 AM

OTTAWA — Former Liberal cabinet ministers Jody Wilson-Raybould and Jane Philpott say they will run as independents in the next federal election.

They made separate but co-ordinated announcements in their ridings _ Wilson-Raybould in Vancouver and Philpott outside Toronto.

Wilson-Raybould served as justice minister in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s cabinet before she was shuffled to the portfolio of veterans affairs in January.

She later revealed she thought the decision to move her out of the justice role was motivated by her decision not to intervene in the criminal prosecution of the Quebec engineering giant, SNC-Lavalin.

Philpott was health minister and then minister of Indigenous services and president of the Treasury Board before resigning over Trudeau’s handling of the SNC-Lavalin affair.

Both were ousted from the Liberal caucus in early April and sit as independent MPs in the House of Commons.