Jane Philpott, the Liberal MP who has served in several cabinet positions under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau resigned from cabinet on Monday, citing "events that have shaken the federal government in recent weeks."
"Unfortunately, the evidence of efforts by politicians and/or officials to pressure the former Attorney General to intervene in the criminal case involving SNC-Lavalin, and the evidence as to the content of those efforts have rasied serious concerns for me," she said in a statement posted to social media.
"The solemn principles at stake are the independence and integrity of our justice system. It is a fundamental doctrine of the rule of law that our Attorney General should not be subjected to political pressure or interference regarding the exercise of her prosecutorial discretion in criminal cases. Sadly, I have lost confidence in how the government has dealt with this matter and in how it has responded to the issues raised."
A representative of the PMO said in a statement that Trudeau had accepted Philpott's resignation and "thanked Ms. Philpott for her years of service to Canadians and her dedication."
The Trudeau administration was rocked by accusations that members of the Prime Minister's Office had put pressure on former Attorney General Jody Wilson-Raybould in regards to the corruption case of SNC-Lavalin. The Montreal-based construction firm was charged in 2015 for allegedly bribing officials to win contracts in Libya. Wilson-Raybould told a House of Commons justice committee that members of the PMO had pressured her to permit a "remediation agreement" with the firm instead of prosecuting it.
If convicted, SNC-Lavalin would have been forbidden from bidding on Canadian government contracts for 10 years.
Trudeau has denied any wrongdoing on the part of anyone working in the PMO.
Philpott was elected to Parliament in 2015, representing the Ontario riding of Markham-Stouffville. She was named Health Minister , but was moved to the Indigenous Services portfolio in 2017. In January, she was named president of the Treasury Board and also Minister of Digital Government.
Reaction from political opponents
Following the resignation, Conservative Party leader Andrew Scheer reiterated his call for Trudeau to resign.
"Justin Trudeau's government is in chaos," he said in a tweet. "He wouldn't allow the former Attorney General to speak freely, so we don't know her full story. Trudeau's story changes daily and won't come clean with Canadians."
In a statement, New Democratic Party leader Jagmeet Singh called a public inquiry following Philpott's resignation.
"Jane Philpott's resignation from Cabinet is not only further evidence of PMO interference and improper pressure on the Attorney General, it also highlights the need to wave solicitor-client privilege to hear what happened between the Prime Minister, his office, Jody Wilson-Raybould and cabinet after she was fired," he said.
