Trudeau called a news conference to address allegations that improper pressure was put on former Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould to help construction firm SNC-Lavalin Group Inc avoid a criminal trial.
REJECTED ALL CLAIMS
“There was no breakdown of our systems, of our rule of law, of the integrity of our institutions,” Trudeau, the Liberal Party leader, told reporters. “There was never any inappropriate pressure.”
Trudeau, 47, came to power in November 2015 promising “sunny ways,” more accountability and a greater number of women in the Cabinet. Yet two-high powered female ministers have quit over the case and he now finds himself accused of trying to arrange a backroom deal with a major company.
Trudeau and other officials deny doing anything improper by asking Wilson-Raybould to consider offering SNC-Lavalin a deal to avoid a trial on charges of bribing Libyan officials. Wilson-Raybould had the power to scrap the decision to go to trial and impose a fine but decided against it. Trudeau, who discussed the matter with Wilson-Raybould on Sept. 17, said: “I stressed the importance of protecting Canadian jobs and reiterated that this issue was one of significant national importance.”
CRISIS CAUSED RESIGNATION
The crisis has prompted the resignations of Wilson-Raybould, Treasury Board President Jane Philpott and Trudeau’s closest political aide, Gerald Butts. “There are many lessons to be learned and many things we would have liked to have done differently,” Trudeau said, adding he should have been aware Wilson-Raybould was unhappy.
A weekly tracking poll released by Nanos Research on Tuesday put the Conservatives at 35 percent public support, with the Liberals at 34 percent. A Jan. 8 Nanos poll put the Liberals at 39 percent and the Conservatives at 33 percent.