TORONTO — Hours after his second cabinet minister quit in as many months, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau addressed the latest bomb to rock his government at a climate change rally in downtown Toronto.

Treasury Board President Jane Philpott resigned Monday afternoon, saying she has lost confidence in Trudeau over the SNC-Lavalin affair. It was a stunning decision from one of the prime minister’s most senior cabinet ministers and plunged Trudeau’s government further into crisis.

[READ MORE: Wilson-Raybould claims political interference in SNC-Lavalin affair]

“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 raised serious concerns for me,” she said in her resignation letter.

“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,” she wrote.

Philpott’s resignation follows former attorney-general Jody Wilson-Raybould’s decision to resign in February. Last week, Wilson-Raybould told a house committee that she had been subject to a “consistent and sustained effort by many people within the government to seek to politically interfere” in the criminal prosecution of SNC-Lavalin.

Wilson-Raybould said the lobbying from Trudeau and others featured an “inappropriate effort to secure a deferred prosecution agreement with SNC-Lavalin.”

[READ MORE: Timeline of Wilson-Raybould’s testimony on the SNC-Lavalin affair]

Unlike during his response to Wilson-Raybould’s resignation, Trudeau took the time to thank Philpott for her work at the start of a speech in Toronto.

Trudeau did not take any questions from journalists on Monday. His comments to the crowd at the Danforth Music Hall are transcribed below for the record.

Justin Trudeau: “Before we talk about the incredible work our Liberal team is doing on climate change, I want to address something that I’m sure is on some of your minds this evening: Jane Philpott’s resignation from cabinet. I know Ms. Philpott has felt this way for some time. And while I am disappointed, I understand her decision to step down and I want to thank her for her service.”

*animal rights protesters interrupt the prime minister. Trudeau waits for the protesters to be removed and then resumes speaking amid scattered cheers.

“In democracies, you get people with a wide range of perspectives and voices, and we need to leave room for as many of them as possible, I think that’s an important piece of it. So, I want to thank Jane. I want to thank Jane for her service. For making tremendous progress on eliminating boil water advisories on reserve, to working on a next-gen solution for the Phoenix pay system, she worked tirelessly with this team to achieve transformational change. We will continue this crucial work.

“In a democracy like ours and in a space where we value our diversity so strongly, we’re allowed to have disagreements and debate, we even encourage it. This matter has generated an important discussion: how democratic institutions, specifically the federal ministry and the staff and officials that support it conduct themselves, is critical and core to all of our principles.

“Concerns of this nature must be taken very seriously, and I can assure you that I am. I know and appreciate the hard work that the justice committee is doing. I’m listening carefully to the various voices, testimonies and opinions. There are more questions still to answer and more to be said in the coming days and weeks. But at the same time, my friends, we need to keep in mind the bigger picture behind this fantastic movement we have built and continue to build. The many issues, globally and here at home, that we must not let up on. Canadians from coast to coast to coast are counting on us.”

*protester interrupts the prime minister, cheers drown protests out.

“They need our total commitment to tackling the big things and getting them right. And that includes taking real, meaningful action on climate change.”

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