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Wilson-Raybould resigned from cabinet last month, after the Globe and Mail published a story detailing allegations of political interference in her decision. Butts resigned soon after, and has taken responsibility for a “breakdown in trust” with Wilson-Raybould. Philpott resigned from cabinet this week, citing a loss of confidence in how the government has dealt with the matter.

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Trudeau was also asked what evidence he has that SNC-Lavalin’s 9,000 Canadian jobs would be threatened by a criminal conviction. “We had heard representations from various sources including the company itself that this was an issue of deep concern to them and that it would potentially have consequences as dire as the company having to leave Canada altogether,” he said.

Going forward, Trudeau said, the government will seek expert opinions on a number of issues related to the SNC-Lavalin controversy, including whether the dual role of justice minister and attorney general should be divided, in order to reinforce the independence of the attorney general from political considerations. “Ultimately, I believe our government will be stronger for having wrestled with these issues,” he said.

But he insisted that Canadians can have faith in the institutions of government. He said the justice committee’s study and an ongoing investigation by the ethics commissioner are evidence of the government’s commitment to transparency. “We’re at a time where Canadians are worried about what they see in the news from around the world, the cynicism around our institutions, the polarization in our politics,” he said. “And being able to demonstrate that we continue to defend our institutions despite internal challenges is something that I think Canadians can deeply be reassured by.”

In a well-timed tweet after Trudeau’s remarks, the Public Prosecution Service of Canada commented that “prosecutors must be objective, independent and dispassionate, as well as free from improper influence — including political influence.” The prosecution service has just joined Twitter and tweeted for the first time on Wednesday, before Butts’s committee appearance.