In 2019 she was named deputy prime minister, and in 2020 she also took on the role of finance minister. She left both those roles Monday
In an unexpected move, Chrystia Freeland resigned her cabinet position as finance minister on Monday morning, even as she was set to deliver the Liberal government’s fall economic update later in the day. Here’s what to know.
Who is Chrystia Freeland?
Born Christina Alexandra Freeland in Peace River, Alberta, in 1968, Freeland has a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University and a master’s in Slavonic studies from the University of Oxford. A former journalist who has held editorial positions at the Financial Times, The Globe and Mail and Reuters, she left journalism in 2013 to enter politics.
Canadians want to know: Why does Chrystia Freeland have notes written on her hand?
She won the riding of Toronto Centre that year as a Liberal, and in 2015 newly elected Prime Minister Justin Trudeau chose her as minister of international trade in his first Cabinet.
In 2019 she was named deputy prime minister, a cabinet position created by then-Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau in 1977, and which had been vacant since 2006. In 2020 she also took on the role of finance minister. She left both those roles on Monday.
Why did she resign?
Instead, she decided “the only honest and viable path for me is to resign from cabinet,” adding: “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.”
Didn’t Trudeau try to replace her earlier?
What does this mean for the Trudeau government?
News that Freeland was quitting came as Housing Minister Sean Fraser was holding a press conference to announce that he was leaving cabinet and politics to spend time with his family. The unexpected departure of two ministers, one of them the deputy prime minister, leaves the government with the task of appointing new people to those roles as quickly as possible.
What about my “working Canadians” cheque?
Does this mean Freeland is finished with politics?
Not necessarily. With her background in journalism and academia, she could presumably pivot to one of those worlds.
Besides, in her resignation letter she concluded: “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 the next federal election.”
What happens next?
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