Dismissed from the Ministry of Justice without explanation last summer, Montreal MP David Lametti will retire from political life on January 31, another tile that falls on the heads of the Liberals at the dawn of the start of the parliamentary term.
David Lametti was appointed Minister of Justice in 2019, replacing Jody Wilson-Raybould. To everyone’s surprise, he was sidelined during last summer’s cabinet reshuffle, replaced by his former parliamentary secretary, Arif Virani.
“It is therefore with some sadness that I leave a dream position. Since the changes to cabinet in the summer of 2023, I have continued to do my best to fulfill my duties as an MP. This period has been difficult on a personal level, as one can imagine,” writes the principal concerned in a statement.
According to a source, the elected official from LaSalle–Émard–Verdun made the announcement of his departure in an “emotional” manner to his colleagues in the Quebec caucus on Thursday morning, paving the way for a by-election later this year. The trained lawyer will join the Fasken Martineau DuMoulin firm.
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Another false start
The news came moments after a motivational speech by Justin Trudeau to the members of his caucus – including David Lametti.
During a half-hour speech where French was an exception, Mr. Trudeau increased the attacks against his rival Pierre Poilievre.
“Canadians are worried. They want solutions. Unfortunately, there are politicians who seek to use this concern to amplify anger for their own benefit,” warned the Prime Minister.
Despite this fiery speech, the past week has been difficult for the Prime Minister.
On Tuesday, the Federal Court ruled that the invocation of the Emergency Measures Act to dislodge the “freedom convoy” was “unlawful”.
And on Wednesday, a Newfoundland MP, Ken McDonald, saw fit to tell Radio-Canada that “each party has an expiration date. Ours has arrived.”
Although Mr. McDonald retracted first thing the next day, the damage was done, and the questions of the day focused on the legitimacy of Justin Trudeau as leader of the Liberals.
As a result, a handful of ministers came to his defense, ensuring that he remained “the best asset” for the party in the next elections.
“He is an experienced politician. He did extremely much. Occasionally he made mistakes. He recognizes it himself. Perfection does not exist, neither in politics nor elsewhere in life. But when things get hectic, who do we turn to? Towards people who have experience,” said Quebec lieutenant Pablo Rodriguez.