Former high-ranking MP Celina Ceasar-Chavannes has just released a new book, in which she puts forth that Trudeau and much of the Liberal caucus have no real committment to diversity or inclusion.
Former high-ranking MP Celina Caesar-Chavannes has just released a new book, in which she puts forth that Trudeau and much of the Liberal caucus have no real commitment to diversity or inclusion.
The tell-all memoir, entitled Can You Hear Me Now? has just been released on Tuesday.
According to VICE, Caesar-Chavannes, whose official position was that of a parliamentary secretary to the PM, said, "I never had to use my brain at all. It was tokenistic. It was embarrassing. Never once invited to a meeting with a feminist, 'diversity is our strength' government, as the only Black female representative in Parliament."
Caesar-Chavannes clashed famously with the PM on two main occasions. The first time was when she got into a verbal altercation with also-then-MP Maxime Bernier over government funding for racial programs.
She felt at the time that the Liberal party didn't do anything for weeks while she was being massively attacked online for her positions, which were supposedly in line with their own positions on these issues.
"As a strong Black woman, I didn’t think you needed help," she said Trudeau told her when she asked him why he and the rest of the Liberal caucus didn't do anything.
The second time she experienced friction with the PM was when she publicly showed support for Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould for refusing an easy plea deal for then-on-trail SNC Lavalin against Trudeau's wishes.
Wilson-Raybould resigned, and Caesar-Chavannes followed suit almost immediately after. The PM was not happy at all with the two resignations so close together:
“I was met with an earful that I needed to appreciate him, that everybody talked to him about his privilege, that he’s so tired of everybody talking to him about this stuff, and that I cannot make this announcement right now."
According to Caesar-Chavannes, the Prime minister said that "he couldn’t have two powerful women of colour leave at the same time."
A spokesperson from Trudeau's office commented the following:
"As the Prime Minister said in the past, he is committed to fostering an environment where Ministers, caucus, and staff feel comfortable approaching him when they have concerns or disagreements. The Prime Minister has many conversations with Members of Parliament. Those conversations are private."
When asked why she wanted to resign, Caesar-Chavannes said the following:
"I quote Nina Simone: 'You’ve got to learn to leave the table/ When love’s no longer being served.' There was no love. They don’t want me there."
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