High-profile resignations a 'blow' to PM beset by questions about SNC-Lavalin

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau needs to hold an emergency meeting with his fellow Liberal MPs and ask them one very important question: Are they still with him?

That'sthe advice from Ian Brodie, Stephen Harper'sformer chief of staff, following the shocking resignation of JanePhilpottfrom cabinet on Monday in the wake of theSNC-Lavalincontroversy.

On Monday,Philpottstepped down from her post as Treasury Board president, saying in a statement that she had "lost confidence" in how the government has dealt with theSNC-Lavalincaseand in "how it has responded to the issues raised."

Philpott's resignation was the second high-profile departurefrom Trudeau's cabinet since this story first broke in the Globe and Mail. Former justice minister and attorney general JodyWilson-Raybould,whose allegations against the prime minister and senior government officialsare at the centre of the controversy, resigned from her cabinet position as veteran affairs minister on Feb. 12.

• TIMELINE | Turmoil in the Trudeau cabinet

Brodie said Canada hasn't seen this kind of cabinet crisis since the closing years of the JohnDiefenbakergovernment. (Diefenbakerhadthree cabinet ministers resign over his nuclear arms policy in 1963.)

"Mr. Trudeau must now move quickly to shore up his cabinet support with a new Treasury Board minister while holding his caucus together," Brodie said in an email. "He should hold an emergency caucus meeting as soon as possible to see if he has the support to continue on."

Watch below: Trudeaucomments on Philpott's resignation

Trudeau on Jane Philpott's resignation

6 years ago

Duration 2:46

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke to a Liberal Party rally in Toronto Monday evening

Among cabinet members at least, Trudeau seems to be holdingsupport.CBC News reached out to the remaining 33 members of cabinet, who all said they support the prime minister.

But with an election looming this fall and ongoing investigations, continued support is far from certain.

• Philpottresigns from cabinet, citing lossof 'confidence' over government's handling ofSNC-Lavalin

The prime minister's political opponents, meanwhile,are already calling for further inquiry, with Conservative Leader Andrew Scheercalling for Trudeau to quit and the RCMP to investigate.NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh,who will soon take a seat in the House of Commons, wants a full public inquiry.

'It's big'

Last week, Wilson-Raybouldtestified in front of the parliamentary justice committeethatwhen she was attorney general, she faced a "consistent and sustained effort" from several top government officials, including the prime minister,to intervene in acorruption and fraud case against SNC-Lavalin Group Inc.

Wilson-Raybould, who was later shuffled out of her justice portfolio to veterans affairs, said she resisted thepressure.

• Key moments from Jody Wilson-Raybould's SNC-Lavalin testimony

• With an election ahead,Wilson-Raybould'stestimony forces Liberals to choose sides

The resignation of Philpott, a key and highly respected cabinet minister in Trudeau's government,has significantly escalated this political crisis for the prime minister,said David McLaughlin, a former chief of staff to BrianMulroney.

"It's big. A three-alarm fire for the Liberals just became a five-alarm fire," McLaughlin toldPower & Politics hostVassy Kapelos.

Trudeau's personal brand was already being "corroded" by the controversy, McLaughlin said. What'sparticularly damaging for Trudeau, he said, is that in her resignation letter, Philpott raisedquestions about the competency of the government.

Philpott has delivered a "body blow" to the government, McLaughlinsaid, making it worse by refusing to stick around beforehearing thetestimony from Gerald Butts, Trudeau's former principal secretary, who also resigned following the SNC-Lavalin controversy.

"She has helped destabilize the government." McLaughlinsaid. "It may not be a torpedothroughthe waterline that sinksthegovernmentbut it iscertainlydestabilizingand it's listingmorebadly now."

'Serious blow'

Penny Collenette, an adjunct professor of law at the University of Ottawa and a former Liberal campaign director, saidthe resignations of both Philpott and Wilson-Raybould are a "serious blow to the Liberal Party and to politics in general."

Collenettesaid in an email that the symbolic loss of two high-profile, hard-working female cabinet ministers is disappointing particularly after the party worked so hard to recruit women into politics.

What the resignations will mean for Trudeau, who was out giving campaign-style speeches on Monday night, is an open question.

But Collenette noted that "resignations are not politically fatal but the aftermath has to be handled wisely and elegantly."

McLaughlin offered a similar take, citing former Manitoba NDP premier Greg Selinger, who lost five cabinet ministers in 2014 in a revolt against his leadership, but remained leader. (Until 2016, when he resigned as leader after losing bigto the Progressive Conservatives).

A more recent example, he said, is thatof British Prime Minister Theresa May, who hadmembers of her cabinet resign over the Brexit deal, and even faced a leadership challenge.

"She's still standing,"McLaughlinsaid. "Now she's wounded andshe may not be certain how much longer she will stand. But you can survive this provided youhave a way of managing this inside and showingyour colleagues there is a path forward.

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"That'sthe part I don't think the prime ministeror his office has yet shown their party."

Former Liberal cabinet minister Sheila Copps said while Wilson-Raybould and Philpotthad policy experience,they lacked political experience.She said in an emailthatboth "are doing their best to destroy their leader" and should be booted from caucus.

The prime minister, Coppssaid,needs to "surround himself with some wizened political people who can staunch the bleeding."

Collenette alsosaid Trudeau mayneed to do some work within the Liberal Party andmake some changes to his inner circle.

"Most importantly, he must find a way to explain to Canadians what has happened, change the dial."

Canadians will get a chance to hear more on Wednesday, when Butts and Clerk of the Privy CouncilMichael Wernickface questions on SNC-Lavalin from the House justice committee.