Justin Trudeau’s long-time ally, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, resigned Monday morning following a dispute with the Prime Minister.
At a political party celebration, a confident Trudeau tried to minimize the significance of the issue, despite the challenge it presented to his leadership.
This subtle remark referred to Freeland’s resignation, which shocked the nation the previous day. Instead of providing the expected fiscal update, Freeland published a harsh letter criticizing Trudeau for prioritizing “costly political gimmicks” over preparing for a potential tariff conflict with Donald Trump.
Freeland revealed in her letter that her decision to resign came after Trudeau told her on Friday that she would be removed from her finance minister position and offered a different role. Trudeau had informed her over Zoom that Mark Carney, Chair of Brookfield Asset Management, would be her replacement. However, Trudeau later appointed Dominic LeBlanc, not Carney, as the new finance minister.
Trudeau, in his speech, acknowledged that politics is filled with challenges and tough days, but insisted the Liberal Party does not shy away from difficult moments. He emphasized their commitment to working hard, no matter the difficulty.
Freeland’s departure is the most high-profile criticism of Trudeau’s leadership so far and could prove disastrous for him. Following the Liberals’ losses in special elections in Toronto, Montreal, and a swing district, dissent within the party has been growing. With a national election set for October, Trudeau has faced mounting pressure.
While he dismissed calls for his resignation earlier this year, now around 45 Liberal MPs are urging him to step down. Some, like Wayne Long, believe Trudeau must step aside for the sake of the party’s future. They point to potential leadership candidates such as Freeland, LeBlanc, or Foreign Minister Melanie Joly, along with private-sector figures like Carney.
As Parliament is in recess until January, some MPs opted out of attending the holiday festivities, choosing instead to focus on their constituencies, amid a festive atmosphere that contrasted sharply with the serious concerns about the government’s future.
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