Global Affair analyst, Michael Bociurkiw, has shed some light on to why the Canadian Prime Minister allegedly interfered. SNC-Lavalin is a Quebec-based engineering and construction company which holds a special place in the hearts of Quebec voters, according to Mr Bociurkiw. He wrote on CNN: “Winning big in Quebec is key to winning enough seats to form a government, which is why the French-speaking province has often been favoured and the target of pork barrel projects.”
The company is currently facing a 10-year ban on federal contracts after it was accused of bribing Libya’s Gaddafi family with $36million (£27million) in return for contracts.
Attorney General Jody Wilson-Raybould has alleged Mr Trudeau pressured her into offering remediation to the company.
But she refused to overrule the decision to pursue fraud and corruption charges against the firm.
Mr Bociurkiw implies Mr Trudeau’s main interest in protecting the company was to get more votes in the October elections.
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However, his supposed plans backfired.
The analyst went on to question Mr Trudeau’s core values which saw him elected in 2015.
He said: “Many Canadian scandals, in the global context, may not seem like that big of a deal — especially compared to US President Donald Trump’s long list of alleged misdeeds.
“But the so-called LavScam suggested new character flaws in Trudeau, including a seeming inability to express contrition during a rambling press conference on Thursday, a failure to stand up for the highly-respected Wilson-Raybould, and a seeming favouritism for Quebec over other parts of the country, after he did little to save tens of thousands of jobs in Alberta’s ailing oil patch.
“Perhaps worst of all, the allegations raise questions about his commitment to the core values which got him elected in the first place: maintaining an open and transparent government and a commitment to the Obama-esque approach of clean politics.”
Ms Wilson-Raybould resigned from Cabinet in a sudden move in February.
Last month, Mr Trudeau’s top aide, Gerald Butts, announced he would quit, denying in a statement that he or anyone on his staff had done anything wrong but said he had to leave so as not to be a distraction from the team’s “vital work”.
The most recent resignation comes from Treasury Board President Jane Philpott, one of the Prime Minister’s top Cabinet ministers.
In her resignation letter, Ms Philpott said it had become “untenable” for her to continue to serve in the Cabinet.
Mr Trudeau has insisted there was never any inappropriate pressure placed on Ms Wilson-Raybould and said the final decision to drop the trial and instead subject the company to a so-called deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) was hers alone.
He acknowledged there had been a breakdown in trust and communications between his office and Ms Wilson-Raybould.
He said: “I was not aware of that erosion of trust, and as prime minister and head of cabinet, I should have been.”