By Canadian Press

Liberal leader Trudeau denies MP pushed out for not lauding him as feminist

Sep 25, 2019 | 1:03 PM

DELTA, B.C. — Liberal leader Justin Trudeau said Wednesday that he did not scuttle a sitting Quebec MP’s chance to run for re-election because she questioned his credentials as a feminist.

Eva Nassif told the Globe and Mail that she was not nominated to run in the Vimy riding because she did not publicly support Trudeau as a feminist following the SNC-Lavalin scandal, which led to the resignation of two female cabinet ministers.

“I can confirm that was not the reason she was red-lit,” Trudeau said in Delta, B.C.

Nassif didn’t meet the standards of the Liberal party’s protocol for vetting candidates, Trudeau said, but he did not give a reason why.

“The process around a green-light committee is conducted independently according to the rules that we have,” Trudeau said. “I trust the processes we’ve established as a party and I know those processes are properly followed.”

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Nassif announced in August that she would not seek a second term in the riding north of Montreal, citing personal reasons.

But riding association president Giuseppe Margiotta told The Canadian Press at the time that Nassif was pushed out.

The Liberals named Annie Koutrakis as their candidate for Vimy earlier this month.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 25, 2019.

The Canadian Press