Blitz Bureau
IN a blow to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who is facing declining approval ratings and opposition from within his own party, as well as the prospect of a trade war with the US, Chrystia Freeland, Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, announced her resignation from the Cabinet.
In a letter shared on her social media platform X, Freeland revealed that Trudeau had offered her a different Cabinet position after deciding she would no longer serve as Finance Minister.
Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc was appointed as the new Finance Minister. He said that his top priority will be lowering the cost of living for Canadians and strengthening ties with the United States.
In the letter addressed to PM Trudeau, Freeland wrote, “It has been the honour of my life to serve in government, working for Canada and Canadians. We have accomplished a lot together. On Friday (December 13), you told me you no longer want me to serve as your Finance Minister and offered me 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. To be effective, a Minister must speak on behalf of the Prime Minister and with his full confidence. In making your decision, you made clear that I no longer credibly enjoy that confidence and possess the authority that comes with it. For the past number of weeks, you and I have found ourselves at odds about the best path forward for Canada,” the letter added. Meanwhile, the Liberal government’s economic update was released on December 16, revealing that the deficit was much larger than the target for the fiscal year that ended March 31.
