Prime Minister Trudeau and others in the eye of the SNC Lavalin storm continue to say it wasn't inappropriate pressure on former Attorney General Jodi Wilson-Raybould, it was business as usual. The PM maintains it was about jobs and the economy.
Today, SNC Lavilin was awarded a contract that will produce lots of jobs and will have an impact on the economy of Ottawa. It's a 660 million dollar deal to design, build and maintain a 16 kilometer extension to the light rail line on our capital, connecting an existing line to the Ottawa airport.
At a morning news conference, Trudeau restated that the Lavalin scandal happened because of an erosion of trust between his office and Wilson-Raybould. He promised action on several emerging issues, including whether the portfolios of Attorney General and Justice Minister should be separated.
Vancouver Lawyer Sarah Leamon says absolutely. In England the Attorney General is an independant office, appointed by the Queen.
She says, "The Justice Minister is a person who is going to have to act politically, by the very nature of the position. But not only political, also in a partisan role because of course they will have allegiance to their party, the cabinet and their constituents."
Leamon has recently written an article detailing her opinion on the importance of separating the Attorney General from the Justice portfolio.