‘Spectacular blow’ to Canadian PM Justin Trudeau as star minister Jane Philpott quits cabinet over his handling of SNC-Lavalin scandal
- Treasury Board president Jane Philpott says she cannot defend the government over claims the attorney general was pressured to drop a bribery prosecution
- Jody Wilson-Raybould resigned as attorney general last week, and has refused to say she has confidence in PM Justin Trudeau
Another member of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s cabinet resigned Monday over his handling of a scandal that has shaken the government in an election year.
Treasury Board president Jane Philpott, considered a star minister, said in a resignation letter that it was “untenable” for her to continue in the Cabinet because she could not defend the government.
Philpott’s friend, former Attorney General and Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould, testified last week that Trudeau and senior members of his government inappropriately tried to pressure her to avoid prosecution of a major Canadian engineering company in a case involving allegations of corruption in Libya.
Wilson-Raybould resigned from Cabinet last month after being demoted to veteran affairs minister the month before.
The scandal has rocked Trudeau’s government. Gerald Butts, his closest adviser and best friend, resigned last month and is scheduled to testify Wednesday before a Parliament justice committee in Trudeau’s defence.