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The mess keeps growing for the PM

When reports started to circulate last week that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had pressured his Jody Wilson-Raybould to help engineering firm SNC-Lavalin avoid criminal prosecution back when Wilson-Raybould was the attorney general, you knew that it

When reports started to circulate last week that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had pressured his Jody Wilson-Raybould to help engineering firm SNC-Lavalin avoid criminal prosecution back when Wilson-Raybould was the attorney general, you knew that it was going to generate a lot of controversy.

It also seemed to be a possible indication of why Wilson-Raybould was demoted from the high-profile attorney general’s portfolio to the role of veteran’s affairs minister.

The story has since evolved, and has become the latest in a long list of scandals and controversies to dog the prime minister.

The latest blow came when Wilson-Raybould resigned her cabinet post Tuesday, and has sought legal advice on what she can say about the matter. Trudeau was clearly angry with the move during a press conference later that day, a rare occasion for a prime minister who, to his credit, usually keeps his emotions in check.

The only saving grace for the prime minister thus far is that Wilson-Raybould hasn’t said much about the scandal, but you know that day will come. And when it does, the prime minister is going to have more questions to answer.

Identity politics have frequently surfaced for Trudeau during his tenure, so a lot of people can’t help but point out that Wilson-Raybould is of Indigenous descent.

This is far more than just a squabble between the PM and a former cabinet minister. There’s also perceptions of favouritism being shown by the Liberals.

SNC-Lavelin is the largest construction firm in the country. It’s based in Quebec. And it has been a supporter of the Liberal Party in the past.

Every government is going to face scandal and controversy. It’s the reality of the job. You can’t control all your staff members and bureaucrats all of the time.

But it seems like a lot of Trudeau’s problems are self-inflicted. If this story is true, then it is the latest problem Trudeau has created for himself. There was also his ill-fated diplomatic trip to India last year, when he embarrassed Canada with his Mr. Dressup routine; his flip-flop on electoral reform, which was more a reflection of his lack of understanding of the system to begin with; and his handling of the Omar Khadr case.

And then there are the little things, such as his statement about veterans asking for too much money (after giving Khadr $10 million) and his Christmas vacation with the Aga Khan.

He can’t write these off as a member of his caucus or his office who went rogue. These are decisions that he made that ultimately blew up in his face.

Someone like a Stephen Harper or a Jean Chretien would have found a way to spin the story and mitigate the damage. Trudeau doesn’t have that uncanny ability. Instead, he fumbled his way through his answers when he first responded to the Wilson-Raybould, delivering the same wooden answer twice.

Then, at Tuesday’s press conference, he repeatedly and informally referred to Wilson-Raybould by her first name.

His lack of experience and maturity is shining through once again.

The only way he could have handled it worse would be if he would have taken a page from U.S. President Donald Trump’s playbook, and resorted to Twitter to repeatedly bash Wilson-Raybould.

He’s backed himself into a corner on this issue. A full-blown inquiry is necessary. And even if he’s fully exonerated, there will still be lingering questions.

And all of it comes in an election year, when Canadians will decide whether to give Trudeau four more years to run this country.