The day before, a jury in Saskatchewan found Gerald Stanley not guilty of the murder of 22-year-old Cree man Colten Boushie. Stanley shot and killed Boushie after he drove onto Stanley’s property on August 9, 2016. When Wilson-Raybould learned of the acquittal, she tweeted, “As a country we can and must do better—I am committed to working everyday [sic] to ensure justice for all Canadians.” The backlash was immediate. Critics and legal experts said Wilson-Raybould’s comments were inappropriate, that they undermined the justice system.

Inappropriate or not, days after the trial, she and Trudeau met with Boushie’s family to hear their perspective. Just weeks after that, Raymond Cormier, who was charged with the murder of 15-year-old Tina Fontaine, was acquitted, putting even more pressure on Wilson-Raybould to address systemic racism within the courts. Meanwhile, proponents of leaving the system as is are just as vocal, adding to powerful tension around Wilson-Raybould.

In the crosshairs of two duelling sides—in the courts and communities—her role in reconciliation has never been more pressing. Whatever her next move, it’s bound to be shrouded in controversy.

Photo via Twitter.

The finance minister’s troubles began when he led the charge to close a tax loophole that allows the richest Canadians to shelter taxable income within personal corporations. The ham-fisted way the plan was drafted and communicated kicked a hornet’s nest of annoyed farmers, entrepreneurs, and doctors, whose outrage gave cover to the real targets—wealthy tax dodgers.

Morneau’s own personal wealth made him an immediate target for allegations of hypocrisy. First, he had to explain why he had failed to declare ownership of a French villa. Conflict of interest allegations followed when reporters discovered Morneau had sponsored pension reform legislation that would benefit his family firm, while still owning about $21 million worth of shares in the company.

Morneau initially resisted the suggestion he had done anything wrong, resting on advice he received from the parliamentary ethics commissioner. Hoping to put the mess behind him, he claimed to have sold all his remaining shares in Morneau Sheppell and donated the profits to charity. Still, the spotlight didn’t dim. In late November 2017, Opposition Leader Andrew Scheer publicly called for Morneau’s resignation, as allegations swirled that the finance minister tipped off his old man to upcoming tax code changes, urging the elder Morneau to sell more than $3 million worth of shares in late 2015.

On January 8, things swung in Morneau’s favour: the ethics commissioner cleared the minister of allegations of insider trading. The pension bill case, however, remains under investigation.