Trudeau defends Scheer lawsuit threat, says there are “consequences” for misleading Canadians

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau defended his decision to serve Opposition leader Andrew Scheer with notice threatening a defamation suit, saying that “there are consequences” for misleading Canadians.

“I think it’s important that all politicians be straight with Canadians in how they characterize their own actions and their own beliefs. I think we’re going to have an election in the coming months, you can’t be inventing things, you can’t be lying to Canadians,” said Trudeau earlier today.

The letter threatening to sue over “libellous” remarks Scheer made in a March 29 statement was revealed by Scheer at a press conference on Sunday.

“Trudeau should know what he’s getting into, he will face questioning  under oath for hours so that we can get to the bottom of this,” said Scheer in his statement.. “He will also have to produce documents that demonstrate his  true motives in helping his corporate friends avoid consequences. I am  confident in my case and I will continue demanding the answers Canadians  deserve.”

In the notice, Trudeau’s lawyer Julian Porter cites four paragraphs in Scheer’s statement as “highly defamatory” and that it was spread widely through social media and “a vast variety of media outlets” as impetus for a possible defamation claim.

“Your statement, in its entirety, is beyond the pale of fair debate and  is libelous of my client personally and in the way of his occupation as Prime Minister,” states Porter in the letter.