Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is facing calls for his resignation after Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland stepped down today.
Trudeau recommended Freeland resign as Finance Minister and take up another cabinet post after they disagreed on an approach to U.S. president-elect Donald Trump’s potential tariffs, according to her resignation letter. Freeland instead chose to leave the cabinet.
“For the past number of weeks, you and I have found ourselves at odds about the best path forward for Canada,” Freeland told Trudeau in her letter.
“The incoming administration in the United States is pursuing a policy of aggressive economic nationalism, including a threat of 25% tariffs. We need to take that threat extremely seriously.”
Freeland resigned hours before the government’s autumn economic statement was released. The statement reported Canada’s 2023 deficit had grown to CA$61.9 billion, and called for over $20 billion in new spending.
Housing Minister Sean Fraser is also set to announce he will not run for re-election this week, with Trudeau expected to choose a new minister in the coming days.
Conservative Party leader and leader of the opposition Pierre Poilievre said today he supported a no-confidence motion or a snap election, while Jagmeet Singh, leader of the left-wing New Democratic Party, called on Trudeau to resign.
“Instead of focusing on [economic] issues, Justin Trudeau and the Liberals are focused on themselves. They’re fighting themselves instead of fighting for Canadians,” said Singh. “And for that reason, today, I’m calling on Justin Trudeau to resign.”
“Justin Trudeau has lost control and yet he clings to power,” said Poilievre. “We cannot accept this kind of chaos, division, weakness while we’re staring down the barrel of a 25% tariff from our biggest trading partner and closest ally.”
Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc was named Finance Minister after Freeland’s resignation. Freeland will run for re-election, she said in her letter.