Justin Trudeau denies undue pressure on former justice minister
Canadian prime minister says there were no dodgy dealings in the criminal trial of construction firm SNC-Lavalin
Ottawa — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Thursday defended his government’s handling of a political crisis that could dash his chances of winning re-election in October, while admitting some mistakes had been made. Trudeau’s Liberal government has been on the defensive for a month over allegations by former justice minister Jody Wilson-Raybould that officials inappropriately pressured her in 2018 to help construction firm SNC-Lavalin Group avoid a criminal trial. “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,” Trudeau told a news conference. The crisis has so far prompted the resignation of two high- profile Liberal cabinet ministers and Trudeau’s closest political aide, Gerald Butts. Polls show that Trudeau’s Liberals trail the official opposition Conservatives ahead of the October election. Butts, testifying to the House of Commons justice committee on Wednesday, denied he had cro...
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