Trump's tariff threats contributed to Chrystia Freeland's resignation
Canada’s deputy prime minister and minister of finance, Chrystia Freeland, has resigned from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s cabinet.
In a statement shared on X Monday morning, Freeland said Trudeau had told her last Friday that he no longer wanted her to serve as his finance minister and offered her another position in the cabinet.
“Upon reflection, I have concluded that the only honest and viable path is for me to resign from the cabinet,” she stated.
See my letter to the Prime Minister below // Veuillez trouver ma lettre au Premier ministre ci-dessous pic.twitter.com/NMMMcXUh7A
— Chrystia Freeland (@cafreeland) December 16, 2024
This comes hours before the federal government is expected to announce its fall economic statement. Daily Hive has asked Canada’s Department of Finance if Freeland will still deliver it in the House of Commons.
“To be effective, a minister must speak on behalf of the prime minister and with his full confidence,” reads the resignation letter. “In making your decision, you made clear that I no longer credibly enjoy that confidence and possess the authority that comes with it.”
Freeland continued to reveal that she and Trudeau have been at odds for weeks about how to govern the country.
She stressed that Canada faces a “grave challenge” with US President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming administration “pursuing a policy of aggressive economic nationalism,” like the threat of a 25% tariff on Canadian products.
“We need to take that threat extremely seriously,” wrote Freeland. “That means keeping our fiscal powder dry today, so we have the reserves we may need for a coming tariff war. That means eschewing costly political gimmicks, which we can ill afford and which make Canadians doubt that we recognize the gravity of the moment.”
She added that the government needs to work with the provinces and territories to oppose “America First” economic nationalism.
“I know Canadians would recognize and respect such an approach. They know when we are working for them, and they equally know when we are focused on ourselves,” reads the statement.
“It is this conviction which has driven my strenuous efforts this fall to manage our spending in ways that will give us the flexibility we will need to meet the serious challenges presented by the United States.”
Freeland concluded her resignation letter by saying she’ll continue to work as a Liberal Member of Parliament and is committed to running again for her seat in Toronto in the next federal election.
She became the first female finance minister in 2020 after Bill Morneau resigned.