Jody Wilson-Raybould has responded to the very large work of unsanctioned public art that was left outside her constituency office early Monday morning (April 8).

“While I appreciate people wanting to show their support and enthusiasm as well as express their views, I would encourage them to do so without damaging private or public property or putting themselves in harm's way,” the MP for Vancouver-Granville wrote on social media. “Thank you.”

The Straight’s Stanley Q. Woodvine was in the vicinity of Wilson-Raybould’s office on the 1200 block of West Broadway shortly after the messages appeared. He witnessed Vancouver police apprehend a man whom they believed was responsible for the graffiti.

As Woodvine reported yesterday, messages left in paint on the street and sidewalk included “Let Jody Speak,” “Trudeau for Treason,” and “Make B.C. the Best Coast Again,” among others.

There was also a longer message left on the windows of Wilson-Raybould’s office.

“Canadian Patriots from Coast to Coast Stand Behind Jody Because Jody Stands on Guard for All Peoples and Laws of Canada Home and native land In all the Sons Command,” it read in part.

Wilson Raybould was previously a federal cabinet minister with the Liberal government, holding the positions of minister for veterans affairs and, before that, minister of justice and attorney general.

Wilson-Raybould and another former cabinet minister, Jane Philpott, were both removed from the Liberal caucus on April 2. In addition, both were told they would no longer represent the Liberal party in the federal election that’s tentatively scheduled for October 2019.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau—who’s also the leader of the federal Liberal party—ejected the two MPs from caucus after Wilson-Raybould made public her opposition to alleged political interference in her work as the country’s attorney general.

https://twitter.com/Puglaas/status/1115332489373995010

The whole mess dates back all the way to 2001.

SNC-Lavalin Group, a very large engineering and construction firm headquartered in Montreal, has been charged with paying bribes to officials with the former Libyan government of Muammar Gaddafi. The bribes—which amount to some $48 million—were allegedly paid between 2001 and 2011.

Under Canadian law, it is illegal for a company based in Canada to bribe government officials, regardless of where in the world that government exists.

SNC-Lavalin is seeking deferred prosecution agreement (DPA).

If a company receives a DPA, it can avoid criminal proceedings. The decision of whether a company receives a deferred prosecution is up to federal prosecuting authorities, and that’s where Wilson-Raybould got involved in the SNC-Lavalin case.

https://twitter.com/tlupick/status/1114264371415269376

She has said that the Prime Minister’s Office exerted political pressure on her former office—the office of Canada’s attorney general—after she and the director of public prosecutions rejected a DPA for SNC-Lavalin.