Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau regrets ‘erosion of trust’ over political scandal, but insists no laws were broken
- Trudeau has been accused of pressuring the country’s former attorney general to abandon the prosecution of an engineering company
- SNC-Lavalin is alleged to have bribed the Libyan government to secure lucrative construction contracts
Justin Trudeau has expressed regret for his handling of a political scandal that has cost him two cabinet ministers and a close adviser – but stopped short of apologising and insisted that no laws had been broken and that no unethical actions had been taken by him or his staff.
“This has been a tough few weeks,” the Canadian prime minister said. “Canadians expect and deserve to have faith in their institutions and the people who act within them … I have taken – and will continue to take – many lessons from these recent days and few weeks.”
Trudeau and his close aides are accused of improperly pressuring the country’s former attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould to abandon the prosecution of the engineering company SNC-Lavalin, which is alleged to have bribed the Libyan government to secure lucrative construction contracts.
The firm, which employs 9,000 people in Canada, is based in the province of Quebec, where Trudeau’s Liberals need to pick up seats to win a federal election set for October. The scandal has cast a shadow over Trudeau’s domestic image of commitment to transparent government, potentially harming his electoral prospects.
His conciliatory remarks in front of reporters on Thursday were intended to shift public attention away from the scandal.