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The prime minister has nothing to gain by letting his opponents batter him senseless over the affair. He knew full well that in Toronto on Thursday evening they would dredge up all those inconvenient truths that have emerged over the past few months: the unethical pressure on an attorney general; the firing of the same AG and another minister for standing up for the rule of law, an ethics report so damning that the prime minister can’t acknowledge it in full, certainly not to the extent that it warrants an apology. And now reports that the RCMP are investigating possible obstruction of justice charges.

Not surprisingly, the opposition leaders were dismayed at Trudeau’s no-show.

Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer said Trudeau was hiding from the SNC-Lavalin affair and he was no doubt right.

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said Trudeau needed to defend his record. “His record is pretty abysmal but that doesn’t mean he should give up on the debate,” he said.

For his part, the prime minister said he would sooner speak to Canadians.

Photo by Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press

“The opportunity to get out across this country, speak with Canadians, listen to them, and talk about how we are going to build a better future for everyone and how we’re going to choose a better future for everyone is at the core of what this election is all about for me,” he said in Victoria.

“I’m going to keep doing that.”

But from the get-go Trudeau has been tied in knots when questioned about SNC.

His first performance in February when the allegations first surfaced was an absolute embarrassment.