Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland has announced her resignation from the federal cabinet, placing the blame on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for her decision.
The announcement came in a letter she shared on X (formerly Twitter) Monday morning.
In the letter addressed to Trudeau, Freeland wrote, “On Friday, you informed me that you no longer want me to serve as your Finance Minister and offered me another position in Cabinet.”
“Upon reflection, I have concluded that the only honest and viable path is for me to resign from Cabinet,” she added.
Freeland further noted that in recent weeks, she has found herself increasingly at odds with Trudeau.
The post sent at 9:07 a.m. Eastern came just hours before the scheduled start of a lock up in Ottawa for the fall economic statement.
Global News asked Freeland’s office whether she would be delivering the fall economic statement. A press secretary said that what happens with the fiscal update is a question for the Prime Minister’s Office or the Department of Finance.
Get breaking National news
For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.
“Our country today faces a grave challenge. The incoming administration in the United States is pursuing a policy of aggressive economic nationalism, including a threat of 25 per cent tariffs,” Freeland went on to write.
“We need to take that threat extremely seriously. 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.”
Freeland said this entails pushing back on the “American First” economic nationalism and working in good faith with provinces and territories to build a “Team Canada” response.
She expressed confidence that Canadians would “recognize and respond to such an approach.”
“They know when we are working for them, and they equally know when we are focused on ourselves,” she said. “Inevitably, our time in government will come to an end. But how we deal with that threat our country currently faces will define us for a generation, and perhaps longer. Canada will win if we are strong, smart, and united.”
Freeland concluded by stating that it is with this conviction that she has been driven in her efforts this fall to manage the nation’s spending in a way that provides the flexibility needed to address the serious challenges ahead.
“I will always be grateful for the chance to have served in government and I will always be proud of our government’s work for Canada and Canadians,” she said.
“I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues as a Liberal Member of Parliament, and I am committed to running again for my seat in Toronto in the next federal election.”
Speaking to reporters before a cabinet meeting on Monday, Treasury Board President Anita Anand called Freeland a “good friend.”
“Chrystia Freeland is… someone I worked with very, very closely as president of the Treasury Board and Minister of Transport. This news has hit me really hard and I’ll reserve further comment until I have time to process this report,” she said.
© 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
