Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he was taken back after his veterans affairs minister quit on Tuesday amid a political crisis surrounding allegations of favoritism by the government, according to Reuters.
Trudeau said Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould did not raise any concerns with him over Ottawa's handling of the case surrounding SNC-Lavalin Group Inc, a major construction company, which is trying to avoid a corruption trial.
The company argues the executives responsible for the wrongdoing have left the firm and it has installed new ethics and compliance systems.
The Globe and Mail reported people inside the Prime Minister's office tried to convince Wilson-Raybould's office last year to allow the firm off with only a fine, but Trudeau has denied the report.
Wilson-Raybould's letter to Trudeau said she was leaving with a "heavy heart" but offered no specific reasons.
Wilson-Raybould wrote: “many Canadians wish for me to speak on matters that have been in the media” and said she hired a lawyer on how much she could say in the letter.
Trudeau told reporters: “Frankly, I am both surprised and disappointed by her decision to step down."
He also reiterated how the Liberal government did nothing improper in the investigation.
“If anyone felt differently they had an obligation to raise that with me. No one, including Jody, did that,” Trudeau said.
Trudeau's Liberal party could face increased scrutiny before the upcoming election in October.
Wilson-Raybould was demoted from the justice minister last month, which the Globe and Mail report said was due to ignoring pressure from the government to go easy on the construction firm.
Her resignation is a major blow for Trudeau, especially since independent ethics commissioner Mario Dion said he was opening a probe into possible wrongdoing by top officials.
“This is bigger trouble for the government than almost anything else that has come along so far,” said Richard Johnston, a professor at the University of British Columbia and an expert in public opinion and election, to Reuters.
Recent polls showed Liberals with a small edge over Conservatives, who have been capitalizing on the corruption scandal.
“Mr. Trudeau’s ethical lapses and his disastrous handling of this latest scandal have thrown his government into chaos,” said Conservative leader Andrew Scheer.
-WN.com, Maureen Foody
Photo:
AP / Carolyn Kaster
