MONTREAL—Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer met with the head of SNC-Lavalin in May 2018 to discuss criminal charges facing the Quebec construction giant.

Scheer’s office confirmed the Conservative leader discussed the “deferred prosecution agreement” sought by SNC-Lavalin to avoid criminal fraud and corruption charges. The meeting with SNC-Lavalin CEO Neil Bruce took place last May 29, months after the Liberal government introduced so-called “DPAs” in its omnibus budget bill.

“Mr. Scheer met with a representative from SNC-Lavalin and was briefed on the company’s position with regards to deferred prosecution agreements,” wrote Brock Harrison, Scheer’s director of communications, in a statement.

“The meeting was one of several SNC-Lavalin sought out and held with MPs from all parties during the budget debate.”

But when asked if Scheer had a position on whether SNC-Lavalin should get such a deal, Harrison would only say that Scheer “is opposed to politicians interfering to get charges dropped for accused corporate criminals.”

Harrison was referring to allegations first reported by the Globe and Mail that officials with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s office attempted to pressure former Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould to push for a deal for SNC-Lavalin.

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The independent Public Prosecution Service has refused SNC-Lavalin’s appeal for a DPA. But the justice minister can overrule that decision, which neither Wilson-Raybould nor her successor, David Lametti, has done.

Trudeau has called elements within the Globe’s report false, although has not specified which elements. Wilson-Raybould has remained silent on the report.

Opposition parties have demanded formal investigations into the allegations, including hearings by the House of Commons Justice Committee involving Trudeau’s senior political staff, the Clerk of the Privy Council, and Wilson-Raybould herself.

The Star reported Saturday that the Liberals plan to prevent that particular probe.

While the political battle lines have been drawn, it’s less clear where each party stands on the greater question of whether or not SNC-Lavalin should be granted a DPA.

If convicted, SNC-Lavalin would be barred from bidding on federal contracts for a decade – a serious and perhaps fatal blow to a business that employs thousands. A DPA would likely come with stiff fines and corporate reforms, but would not ban the company from competing for public contracts.

The opposition New Democrats, however, are unequivocal in their position. Asked if SNC-Lavalin should get a deal, NDP ethics critic Charlie Angus said “hell no.”

“SNC has a long and very disturbing history of corruption and political interference, and there has to be consequences,” Angus said in an interview.

When asked what that would mean for the workers at SNC, Angus said that federal work SNC bids on are jobs that must and will get done.

“The fact is SNC is bidding on jobs. The work is going to be done. They’re bidding on many federal buildings where there are public civil servants doing these jobs,” Angus said.

“They have to set themselves to proper corporate standards, otherwise they shouldn’t be in business.”

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is also listed as having met with SNC-Lavalin CEO Neil Bruce last year, but Angus said the meeting was actually an event with the Quebec Chamber of Commerce where Bruce asked Singh a question about DPAs from the floor.

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Speaking to reporters in British Columbia Sunday, Singh said “nothing about this passes the smell test.”

“We’ve got a government that’s been lobbied by a multinational corporation to effectively drop criminal charges. Then it looks like the Attorney General was pressured to drop charges,” Singh said.

“There are so many questions here, and fundamentally the question is, whose side is this Liberal government on? Are they on the side of the people? Or are they on the side of multinational corporations trying to drop criminal charges?”

With files from Perrin Grauer, Star Vancouver

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