THERE IS NO GOOD WAY TO SPIN THIS.

It’s not just the women quitting in disgust that’s going to cause Prime Minister Justin Trudeau so much trouble. That’s bad enough, to be sure. But it’s what they’re saying as they head out the door that’ll do the real damage. Jane Philpott, the Toronto-area Liberal MP who resigned Monday afternoon from her cabinet post as head of the Treasury Board, did not go quietly.

As she headed out the door, she sent the prime minister a message. I don’t mean that metaphorically. She quite literally sent him a message: a letter that she also shared openly on her social media channels. It’s quite a read. She starts with the apparently mandatory recapping of her proudest moments during the past three years, citing accomplishments such as improvements to health care and implementing Canada’s assisted dying regulations. But she moves quickly into remarkably blunt criticism of the Trudeau government.

She leaves virtually no room for interpretation or spin. Since a “minister must always be prepared to defend other ministers publicly, and must speak in support of the government and its policies. ... (it) is untenable for me to continue to serve as a cabinet minister,” she says near the top, which is damning enough on its own. But she goes in for the kill with her very next paragraph. “Unfortunately, the evidence of efforts by politicians and/ or officials to pressure the former attorney general ... and the evidence as to the content of those efforts have raised serious concerns for me,” Philpott wrote. She adds later, “It is a fundamental doctrine of the rule of law that our attorney general should not be subjected to political pressure or interference regarding the exercise of her prosecutorial discretion in criminal cases.

“Sadly, I have lost confidence in how the government has dealt with this matter and in how it has responded to the issues raised.” That’s ... that’s remarkable. I mean, have fun spinning that one, Liberal partisans. Reading Philpott’s statement is especially interesting when considered against a similar one Jody Wilson-raybould, the woman at the heart of this controversy, posted in January. When Wilson-raybould was shuffled from the Justice portfolio to Veterans Affairs, and out of the Attorney-general role at the same time, she released a long public statement, expressing pride in her accomplishments and also stressing that she had always sought to uphold the rule of law.

The statement was immediately and widely remarked upon because it was unusual for two reasons: first, such statements are rare after a cabinet shuffle, period, and Wilson-raybould was sending a message that Canadians, absent the vital context of the alleged interference she endured, couldn’t quite grasp.

Once the scandal went public with the Globe and Mail report three weeks later, Canadians could go back and read Wilson-raybould’s statement and grasp its huge implications. There is no such room for ambiguity with Philpott’s statement. That’s probably not a coincidence. Philpott saw the confused public reaction, including plenty of rumour-mongering and speculation, that followed Wilson-raybould’s (once) ambiguous statement. She also has seen in recent weeks how the Prime Minister’s Office, either directly or through various proxies, has tried to fight back by undermining Wilson-raybould’s reputation and credibility. And Philpott adjusted her strategy accordingly. Re-read the sections of her statement I’ve quoted. Really focus on the language: “The evidence of efforts by politicians and/ or officials.” “The evidence as to the content of those efforts.” Evidence. The e-word. She uses it twice in a row.

None of the absurd “well, gee, I guess Jody has her version of the truth (and it’s wrong)” talking points Liberals have been trying to get away with in recent days. Philpott cuts right through that, viciously. She’s quitting cabinet because she’s satisfied there’s evidence of wrongdoing on behalf of the government. That’s massively significant. As are her comments on what the issue is. Yes, Philpott is probably incensed at the treatment Wilson-raybould has been subjected to by the PMO and its proxies in recent days. Philpott was outspoken in her support of Wilson-raybould when the latter quit cabinet last month. There’s clearly a personal element to all of this, something that has made it difficult — impossible, apparently — for Philpott to do nothing while fellow Liberals worked to undercut her colleague.

Reacting to Philpott’s resignation on Monday evening, Finance Minister Bill Morneau noted exactly that — he said the prime minister still has his full confidence and that Philpott and WilsonRaybould are close friends. The implication, obviously, is that this is about personal loyalty. No doubt that’s a factor. But it’s not what Philpott chose to put in her statement. What is in the statement is one of the prime minister’s more competent and better regarded ministers saying that the government has gone against a “fundamental doctrine” of Canadian law.

Again, focus on the language — get out your red pen and start striking out the extra words. When you boil Philpott’s statement down to its essence, it’s impossible to ignore the stark reality: she quit because of evidence that the government acted contrary to the rule of law. She has lost confidence in the government. She’s said this with brutal clarity, giving the prime minister and his office no wiggle room. Philpott’s been watching and learning. She’s seen what happened to Wilson-raybould. She did this anyway, and at a time and place of her choosing, even after the Liberals tried to hurt Wilson-raybould’s reputation with whispers, whispers that got so bad Trudeau felt compelled to apologize for what his own colleagues were saying. Philpott knew that might be coming, so she made her case clear as day — and it’s devastating for Trudeau. Like I said, Liberals — have fun spinning this one.