On Thursday, Canada’s prime minister Justin Trudeau admitted he should have known trouble was brewing between his office and that of justice minister and attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould. Mr Trudeau’s handling of the case later led to her resignation over the SNC Lavalin affair. The political controversy has consumed the country for the past month, brewing a political crisis.
Mr Trudeau told a news conference on Thursday: “I can repeat and reassure Canadians that there was no breakdown of our systems, of our rule of law, of the integrity of our institutions.
“In regards to standing up for jobs and defending the integrity of law, I continue to say that there was no inappropriate pressure.”
Mr Trudeau and his staff have been depicted as inappropriately and repeatedly pressuring Ms Wilson-Raybould to settle a corporate criminal case to protect Canadian jobs.
Since the crisis began, the prime minister’s popularity has been in sharp decline, with many calling for his resignation.
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Mr Trudeau added: “I was not aware of that erosion of trust, and as prime minister and head of cabinet, I should have been.
“Ultimately, I believe our government will be stronger for having wrestled with these issues.”
Although no laws appear to have been broken the political wreckage from the perception of back-room dealing by the Canadian government has been huge.
Mr Trudeau’s future as Canada’s leader could now be at risk, as the national election takes place in just seven months.
Justin Trudeau net worth
Јuѕtіn Тrudеаu’s net worth іѕ estimated to be mоrе thаn $13m (£9.9m), according to The Wealth Record.
The Canadian prime minister has еаrnеd most of thе mоnеу thrоugh hіѕ роlіtісаl роѕіtіоn, being one of thе mоѕt іnfluеntіаl реople іn Саnаdа.
In 2017, his salary as prime minister was $345.400 (£263,770), up from $340.800 (£260.260) in 2016.
The 47-year-old’s success as a politician did however get some help from his father, Pierre Trudeau, who has also served as Canada’s head of state.
When his father died in October 2000, a eulogy by Mr Trudeau at his state funeral brought him tremendous limelight.
In 2008, he was elected to represent in the Canadian House of Commons and became the Liberal Party’s critic in 2009 focusing on youth and multiculturalism.
In 2013, the leadership of the Liberal Party went to Trudeau, and the party went on to emerge victorious at the 2015 federal election, increasing the number from 36 seats to 184 seats.