Jody is Independent. Jane is Independent.

Wilson-Raybould has announced she'll seek re-election in Vancouver-Granville as an independent. I expect her decision means that riding is lost to the Liberals even if she doesn't win in October.

So much for Jody. As for Jane, news crews are awaiting her arrival at some produce market in Markham-Stouffville.  It was interesting looking at all those former Liberal voters gathered to await her announcement. Ah, here's Jane.

Dr. Philpott is also running - as an independent.  Given the enthusiasm of the crowd it seems that Markham-Stouffville is also now lost to the Liberals.

When the campaign does begin it's hard to imagine what their Liberal opponents will have to say about them. How will they try to take them down? Attacking either of them could be suicidal.

Philpott praised Elizabeth May and the Greens, pledging to support their platform.

That Horse, It's Dead. Leave It Alone.

The SNC-Lavalin business has jumped the shark. That's not to say it's over or that there may not be new revelations but, until something seismic comes out - if ever, it's a dead horse. We've had our fill. Enough.

I think most of us have some opinion of who, if not both, is blameworthy. Some are backing Justin, others stand with Jody and Jane. Me, a pox on all their houses. There are vastly more important issues we need to address and we simply can't let this keep consuming all the air in the room. Ask Jeremy Corbyn or Theresa May what awaits once you start down this road.

There is no shortage of issues confronting the world, our nation, our provinces and our communities. We have elections looming, our once in every four years chance to almost be heard. On some issues the parties are virtually indistinct. On others they're miles apart. We can intuit where they're going on some issues while others are wild cards.

One thing that will help no one is to allow this to become Andrew Scheer's election cudgel. That certainly won't help the country and yet Chuckles would never let that stand in his way.

I think Jody and Jane should get themselves squared away with their riding associations and consider running as independents if they want to remain in federal politics. What could be better validation of their "principled stands" than to run and win their ridings?

So let the electioneering proceed and let's put this Justin/Jody/Jane business on the shelf, see how it ages. If, without constant stoking, it fades to black then we'll know that it was always less than once claimed.

Oh Dear. Jane Wants to Talk.

This one's gonna hurt.

Jane Philpott wants to tell "her truth."

The former Treasury Board president has given an interview to Macleans's Paul Wells that can only fan the embers of the Jody Wilson-Raybould/SNC-Lavalin affair.

She believes, as she put it, that “there’s much more to the story that needs to be told” but that it can’t come out because “there’s been an attempt to shut down the story”—an attempt she attributed to the Prime Minister and his close advisors. 

But she is also keenly aware, because she has been hearing from Liberal colleagues, that “there are people who are afraid that they’re not going to get elected because of what I did.” As she described that anger, the former minister said: “My only way of living with myself on that, is that this is not my fault. I did not start this.” Now she is trying to figure out how to see it through.

I believe the former attorney general has further points to make. I believe that I have further issues of concern that I’m not free to share. There was a reference by Gerry Butts in his testimony of the fact that I spoke to the Prime Minister on January the 6th about SNC-Lavalin’s desire to have a DPA [deferred prosecution agreement]. This was more than a month before the story became public. And I ordinarily would have not been allowed to share that information. But of course it’s already on the public record from the Justice Committee. I think Canadians might want to know why I would have raised that with the Prime Minister a month before the public knew about it. Why would I have felt that there was a reason why former Minister Wilson-Raybould should not be shuffled?

I did not start this. And a very wise person said two things to me that helped me over that. This is someone who has been around politics for a long time. They said that politicians in general, and perhaps Liberals in particular, make mistakes when they assume that the best interests of Canadians and their own future political success are synonymous. 

Of course I want a Liberal government in federal politics. I do not want to see Prime Minister Andrew Scheer, for a whole bunch of really important reasons. But the Liberal Party needs to be the best version of the Liberal Party. And I had to do the right thing and trust that the details would work out for the best interests of Canadians. And I think that was the second thing that this person said to me: that you have to make the decision that you can live with, based on your own convictions and principles, and you are not responsible for the fallout from it.

This will undoubtedly stir the prime minister's fan club into a fury. They haven't skipped an opportunity to slag Wilson-Raybould and her supposed motivations. Jane Philpott will probably be in for the full treatment.