The reaction of Skeena-Bulkley Valley election candidates to the federal ethics commissioner鈥檚 finding that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau violated ethics laws was swift.

Moments after the announcement, Taylor Bachrach, the NDP candidate and current Smithers Mayor posted on Facebook.

鈥淚鈥檓 proud it was our party 鈥� and our MP in particular 鈥� that requested the commissioner鈥檚 investigation and held the government to account for its actions,鈥� Bachrach said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a legacy, I will work hard to uphold.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau violated the Conflict of Interest Act by improperly pressuring former attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould to halt the criminal prosecution of SNC-Lavalin, Canada鈥檚 ethics watchdog declared Aug. 14

Mario Dion, the commissioner, concluded that Trudeau鈥檚 attempts to influence Wilson-Raybould on the matter contravened section 9 of the act, which prohibits public office holders from using their position to try to influence a decision that would improperly further the private interests of a third party.

鈥淚t鈥檚 deeply troubling and it shows in many ways that the prime minister is willing to overlook basic ethics and, in fact, Canadian law to help his well-connected friends and it shows there鈥檚 one set of rules for the corporations close to the prime minister and there鈥檚 another set of rules for ordinary Canadians and I don鈥檛 think that washes,鈥� Bachrach said.

The Liberal candidate, former Fort St. James town councillor Dave Birdi, echoed Trudeau鈥檚 explanation that he was simply acting in the best interests of Canadian jobs.

鈥淚t鈥檚 the responsibility of any prime minister to stand up for people鈥檚 jobs and livelihoods across the country, while upholding the rule of law,鈥� he said via email. 鈥淭he prime minister accepted the ethics commissioner鈥檚 report and took full responsibility for everything that happened.

Conservative candidate Claire Ratt茅e was in the middle of creating a video on the subject when she spoke with Black Press Media.

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 completely unsurprising,鈥� she said. 鈥淲hen the news first came out six months ago that there may have been inappropriate pressure, my personal feeling was that absolutely there was. We have a prime minister that violated the Conflict of Interest Act, this is now the second time in just four years.

鈥淚 think what鈥檚 really troubling for Canadians is that 1. he鈥檚 continually lied to Canadians and that鈥檚 just not acceptable鈥� but also when you look at their election platform in the previous federal election this was supposed to all [be] sunny ways and 鈥榳e鈥檙e going to do politics differently鈥� and it seems to me that his idea of sunny ways is that he鈥檚 above the law and he can operate with immunity because he鈥檚 the prime minister.鈥�

Ratt茅e believes the development enhances her own chances.

鈥淲hen you look at how frustrated people are in the north feeling under-represented, we鈥檝e continually elected an MP under the NDP banner and we wonder why nothing gets done,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e need to elect someone who actually has a shot at being in government, of being in power, of being able to actually do something for our riding. I think that Nathan was a great MP, I think that he鈥檚 a great person, but when you run under the banner of a party that will never hold power, you鈥檙e very limited.鈥�

However Bachrach says an argument of poor representation is invalid.

鈥淭his riding has been exceptionally well-represented for the last 15 years by a representative and a party that haven鈥檛 formed the government so I don鈥檛 think that argument holds any weight at all.鈥�

Birdi also believes it does not change the local election landscape saying it鈥檚 time to put this issue behind and concentrate on the Liberal鈥檚 economic record. He cited statistics from April that showed creation of 106,500 new jobs and an unemployment rate of 5.7 per cent, which, he said, is near a 40-year low.

鈥淚 am going to engage the electors on their ideas of building on this foundation for economic growth,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 am committed to working with the federal government to strengthen the middle class, create well-paying new jobs, and offer real help for families right here in the Skeena-Bulkley Valley region.鈥�

Mike Sawyer, running for the Green Party, in addition to strongly condemning Trudeau鈥檚 actions, said, in his view, they could amount to criminal acts.

鈥淭he finding by federal ethics commissioner that the prime minister violated the Conflict of Interest Act in the SNC-Lavalin scandal indicates that Trudeau may be guilty of obstruction of justice, a very serious criminal offence with penalties of imprisonment for up to 10 years.鈥�

He said he found Trudeau鈥檚 actions to be contrary to principles of democracy.

鈥淚n a country where we profess to believe in good government and the rule of law, Trudeau鈥檚 action in the SNC-Lavalin are offensive, unacceptable and should be subject to prosecution to the fullest extent of the law.

鈥淧oliticians should not be above the law; to do otherwise makes a mockery of our legal institutions and undermines our democracy.鈥�

Sawyer believes the finding could turn the tide of the election and have spin-off benefits for the Greens.

鈥滻 think it will seriously undermine the Liberal鈥檚 chances at forming the next government and increase the likelihood of a Conservative minority government,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he people who flee the liberals will likely go to the NDP or quite possibly the Greens.鈥�

Jody Craven, the People鈥檚 Party of Canada candidate also thinks criminal prosecution should be pursued.

鈥淓veryone knew he was guilty or was trying to cover it up 鈥� isn鈥檛 that a crime?鈥�

Craven said going forward he hopes Trudeau is not given special treatment by any future investigations 鈥� criminal or otherwise 鈥� into his wrongdoings surrounding SNC-Lavalin.

鈥淚 honestly think him and 鈥� anyone who knew they were helping him try to influence Wilson-Raybould should be investigated to the full extent of the legal system鈥� we have a Charter of Rights and they apply to every citizen. No one is above the law, not even Trudeau, and I think that鈥檚 what we need to remember in this situation and moving forward.鈥�

Craven, a candidate in a relatively new party that formed just under a year ago, said what Canadians really want come October is a change from the status quo.

鈥淚f Maxime Bernier was leader of the Conservative Party we wouldn鈥檛 be having this conversation because it鈥檇 be no contest.

鈥淲e need someone in there that will work for the people and not for the one per cent-ers.鈥�

Rod Taylor, candidate for and leader of the Christian Heritage Party, also condemned Trudeau.

鈥淭he PM, in a show of arrogant disdain for the serious conclusions of the Ethics Commissioner, refused to even apologize for the breach, while trying to appear honest and humble,鈥� he said via email.

鈥淧M Trudeau admitted that 鈥渟ome things happened that shouldn鈥檛 have happened鈥� but clung to the tired excuse that what he did was motivated by his concern for Canadian jobs. That flimsy effort to avoid the heat and to avoid the consequences of his actions should have every Canadian riled up. In a country that claims to respect the 鈥渞ule of law,鈥� the PM cannot claim an exception.鈥�

Taylor suggested the specific affair was a symptom of a culture of corruption in Canadian politics citing the prosecution of Normand Morin, a former SNC-Lavalin vice-president for an illegal election financing scheme that funnelled more than $117,000 into Liberal and Conservative coffers.

鈥淭he Liberals and their leftist friends in the NDP like to talk about 鈥済etting big money out of politics,鈥� but this and other schemes show that what they really want is to put your money into their partisan campaigns,鈥� he said. Wild spending now by the Liberals is just another effort to buy votes with your hard-earned tax dollars. After the 2015 election, taxpayers were forced to pay tens of millions of dollars into the party coffers of the Liberals, Conservatives and NDP. The abuse of the system by the big parties鈥攖hough not technically illegal鈥攊s certainly unethical. Members of CHP Canada and other smaller parties are forced, against their will, to contribute through their taxes to the big parties with which they disagree.

With files from Aman Parhar