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The problems with his response are numerous. As Canada’s top legislator, he doesn’t appear to recognize the sanctity in a modern democracy of the rule of law and prosecutorial independence — the very principles Wilson-Raybould kept trying to protect in rejecting repeated, highly improper attempts by Trudeau and his staff to influence the SNC-Lavalin prosecution.

In making his claim about protecting jobs and continuing a pattern of dishonesty about the SNC-Lavalin mess, Trudeau is really saying that the ends (jobs) justify the means (trampling on judicial independence.) That implies that he still doesn’t really understand the real and critical — not theoretical or academic — importance of keeping politics out of prosecutions and that there are some lines that one doesn’t cross — especially as leader of the country.

Trudeau also excuses himself by claiming that one has to make complicated decisions as prime minister, which, while certainly true, doesn’t justify his conduct. Prime ministers can be excused for making mistakes, especially when they own up to and learn from them, but that is not the case here. The first time Wilson-Raybould explained to one of Trudeau’s staff that it was wrong for them to attempt to influence the SNC-Lavalin prosecution should have been the end of the matter.

Any secondary school civics student would have understood after having it explained once — it’s not a complicated notion. Instead, Trudeau and his people continued their campaign of interference, eventually removing Wilson-Raybould from her position. They knew what they were doing was wrong but continued their campaign of interference despite it.