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.

害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檝e taken every effort to address their concerns, and ultimately, if they can害羞草研究所檛 honestly say that they have confidence in this team 害羞草研究所� then they cannot be part of this team,害羞草研究所� Trudeau said.

The dissident MPs, both former senior cabinet ministers, risked a civil war within the Liberal party, he said. That害羞草研究所檚 how the Liberals lose power and Canada can害羞草研究所檛 afford it, he said.

害羞草研究所淐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,害羞草研究所� Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer said. 害羞草研究所淓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.害羞草研究所�

Wilson-Raybould, whose explosive allegations of political interference by the Prime Minister害羞草研究所檚 Office appear to have deeply imperilled Liberal hopes of holding on to power in this fall害羞草研究所檚 federal election, wrote to her fellow 害羞草研究所� now former 害羞草研究所� caucus members earlier in the day in hopes of convincing them to let her stay.

But just minutes into Tuesday害羞草研究所檚 hastily convened meeting, Wilson-Raybould, who stepped down from Trudeau害羞草研究所檚 cabinet in February after he shuffled her out of the coveted justice portfolio, made it clear via Twitter that the letter hadn害羞草研究所檛 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...

害羞草研究所� Jody Wilson-Raybould (@Puglaas)

害羞草研究所淚 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,害羞草研究所� 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.

害羞草研究所淭he trust that previously existed between these two individuals and our team has been broken,害羞草研究所� Trudeau told caucus members.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 become clear that Ms. Wilson-Raybould and Dr. Philpott can no longer be part of our Liberal team.害羞草研究所�

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 Minister害羞草研究所檚 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 country害羞草研究所檚 top bureaucrat 害羞草研究所� 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-Raybould害羞草研究所檚 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 Friday害羞草研究所檚 release of Wilson-Raybould害羞草研究所檚 17-minute phone conversation with Wernick 害羞草研究所� and the fact she recorded it 害羞草研究所� appeared to tip the scales.

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

害羞草研究所淚f a politician secretly records a conversation with anyone, it害羞草研究所檚 wrong. When that politician is a cabinet minister secretly recording a public servant, it害羞草研究所檚 wrong. And when that cabinet minister is the attorney general of Canada, secretly recording the clerk of the Privy Council, it害羞草研究所檚 unconscionable.害羞草研究所�

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.

害羞草研究所淲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,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淐ivil wars within parties are incredibly damaging because they signal to Canadians that we care more about ourselves than we do about them.害羞草研究所�

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.

害羞草研究所淭his is what this year害羞草研究所檚 election is about. This is what害羞草研究所檚 on the line,害羞草研究所� he said.

In her appeal to her caucusmates, Wilson-Raybould said she rejected the prime minister害羞草研究所檚 pressure on SNC-Lavalin because she was standing up for Liberal values.

害羞草研究所淚 know many of you are angry, hurt, and frustrated. And frankly so am I, and I can only speak for myself,害羞草研究所� Wilson-Raybould wrote in her letter to caucus members.

害羞草研究所淚 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.

害羞草研究所淚 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.害羞草研究所�

Toronto MP John McKay, who was unmoved by Wilson-Raybould害羞草研究所檚 letter, said he害羞草研究所檚 dismayed by her behaviour and believes she and Philpott are 害羞草研究所渏oined at the hip.害羞草研究所� Fellow MP Judy Sgro agreed the letter is 害羞草研究所渢oo little, too late.

Infrastructure Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne criticized Wilson-Raybould害羞草研究所檚 ethics, saying he had never recorded any conversations he had while working as a lawyer. Tourism Minister Melanie Joly called it 害羞草研究所渇undamentally wrong.害羞草研究所�

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 害羞草研究所渜uite determined害羞草研究所� on the matter and would likely 害羞草研究所渇ind a way to get it done one way or another.害羞草研究所�

NDP MP Jenny Kwan said Trudeau害羞草研究所檚 move Tuesday was an extension of that attitude 害羞草研究所� he害羞草研究所檇 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 SNC害羞草研究所檚 behalf. She resigned from cabinet a month later.

Philpott followed suit in early March, citing a loss in confidence in the government害羞草研究所檚 handling of the matter.

The Canadian Press

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