Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc has been sworn in as finance minister late Monday at a ceremony at Rideau Hall.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s decision comes following the sudden resignation of Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland from the federal cabinet.
In a letter to Trudeau posted on ‘X’ just after 9 a.m., Freeland addressed the PM saying, “On Friday, 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.”
Freeland started the resignation letter by saying that it has been the honour of her life to serve in government, working for Canada and Canadians, adding that she and the PM had “accomplished a lot together.”
Freeland wrote about an apparent lack of confidence in her position.
“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 I no longer credibly enjoy that confidence and possess the authority that comes with it,” she said.
She went on to say she and the prime minister had been “at odds” for the past few weeks about the best path forward for Canada, adding that “our country faces a grave challenge”.
“The incoming administration in the United States is pursuing a policy of aggressive economic nationalism,” she stressed, adding that “we need to take that threat extremely seriously… That means eschewing political gimmicks, which we can ill afford and which make Canadians doubt that we recognize the gravity of the moment.”
Freeland finished the letter to Trudeau saying that she looks forward to continuing her work with her colleagues as a Liberal Member of Parliament and is committed to running again for her seat in Toronto in the next federal election.
In a Monday afternoon news conference, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said of the Trudeau government that “everything is spiraling out of control” and that “80 per cent of Canadians have lost faith in the Prime Minister.”
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh released a late-morning statement on Freeland’s breaking news, saying: “The withering resignation of Trudeau’s right-hand minister shows just how deeply this Liberal government’s members are obsessed with infighting, and ignoring the urgent challenges everyday Canadians are coping with.”
He added that “Canadians are sick and tired of watching government after government put themselves, their friends and corporate giants first.”
Surrounded by the country’s premiers at a Council of Federation’s presser this afternoon, Ontario Premier Doug Ford side-stepped a direct answer about Freeland’s resignation, rather focusing on impending U.S. tariffs and talking about securing the national border.
Ford said adamantly that the provincial heads are “not backing away” from U.S. president-elect Donald Trump’s threat.
“We’re gonna be at the table … to protect our provinces, territories and country from coast to coast to coast.”
Responding to a question from CHCH News’ Al Sweeney about possible U.S. tariffs, Ford said: “As a country we can’t be rolled over.”
Regarding the federal government and the U.S.-Canada border, Ford said: “We shouldn’t be in this position, we should have the border secured.”
Meanwhile, Anita Anand, Oakville MP, Minister of Transport and President of the Treasury Board was visibly affected by the news of Freeland’s resignation.
“Chrystia Freeland is a good friend, someone I work with very very closely…This news has hit me really hard and I’ll reserve further comment until I have time to process this.”
Fellow Liberal Chad Collins, Member of Parliament for Hamilton East — Stoney Creek, today reiterated his October request for Prime Minister Trudeau to step down.
Chrystia Freeland is not the first minister this fall to resign or bow out of re-election contention.
A federal cabinet shuffle has been expected for some time to fill a number of vacancies and replace Liberal ministers not wanting to renew their post.
Filomena Tassi, the minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, Sports Minister Carla Qualtrough, Northern Affairs Minister Dan Vandal and National Revenue Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau have all announced they will not run again.
Randy Boissonnault left his cabinet role as employment minister in November following a scandal that grew from questions over his certain business dealings and claims of Indigenous identity, and transport minister Pablo Rodriguez stepped down and quit the Liberal caucus in September to run for the Quebec Liberal leadership.
