Jane Philpott resigns from federal cabinet

Treasury board president Jane Philpott has resigned from the federal cabinet, saying she’s lost confidence in the way the Trudeau government has dealt with the SNC-Lavalin affair.

“In Canada, the constitutional convention of cabinet solidarity means, among other things, that ministers are expected to defend all cabinet decisions. Given this convention and the current circumstances, it is untenable for me to continue to serve as a cabinet minister,” she said in a resignation letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. “Sadly, I have lost confidence in how the government has dealt with this matter and in how it has responded to the issues raised. I must abide by my core values, my ethical responsibilities and constitutional obligations. There can be a cost to acting on one’s principles, but there is a bigger cost to abandoning them.”

Philpott’s resignation comes less than a month after former attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould resigned from cabinet.

Wilson-Raybould delivered a bombshell testimony last week following allegations the Prime Minister’s office had pressured her to stop a criminal prosecution of Montreal engineering giant SNC-Lavalin.

Philpott, who is good friends with Wilson-Raybould, says she has serious concerns about evidence of inappropriate interference in the attorney general’s prosecutorial discretion in criminal cases. 

Philpott will continue to serve as Liberal MP for Markham-Stouffville.