Susan Delacourt: Trudeau´s damage-control plan is aimed at Liberal MPs
(The Star Food)

Conservatives and New Democrats were less than impressed when Justin Trudeau rolled out three big steps on Monday to address the damage of the SNC-Lavalin affair.But the opposition wasn’t the intended target of the measures — which included the resignation of Canada’s top bureaucrat, a mini-shuffle of the cabinet and the appointment of former deputy prime minister Anne McLellan as a special adviser. Disaffected Liberals — and former minister Jody Wilson-Raybould in particular — are clearly the top-of-mind concern for the prime minister in this new repair effort he’s launched. So the test of Trudeau’s fix-it measures isn’t whether they placate the critics, but whether they help bring Liberals back to the fold in the days ahead. That in fact may be a theme of the week — or even this entire election year. Take Monday’s damage-control measures one at a time. The departure of Privy Council Clerk Michael Wernick is significant. As testimony has unfolded at the Commons justice committee, it became evident that much of the “undue pressure� on Wilson-Raybould came from Wernick himself. Read more: Canada’s top public servant Michael Wernick announces surprise retirement The political casualties of the SNC-Lavalin affairUnwelcome global spotlight shines on CanadaIt was Wernick who had multiple conversations with Wilson-Raybould on subjects ranging from the prime minister’s mood, to the looming Quebec election, to SNC-Lavalin’s economic worries. It was Wernick who took a call from SNC-Lavalin board chair (and former clerk) Kevin Lynch at one point last fall and who talked to Wilson-Raybould about the need to consider an upcoming board meeting at SNC-Lavalin and possible relocation of headquarters if she failed to give the Quebec firm a plea deal on corruption charges. All of that came from Wilson-Raybould’s own, searing testimony a few weeks ago. Wernick talked in his exit statem ...