Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
Chrystia Freeland, Canada’s former deputy prime minister, whose sudden resignation in December helped prompt Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s decision to step down, said on Friday that she running to replace him.
He posted his statement on X with six sentences: “I’m running to fight for Canada.”
Ms. Freeland, 56, a close ally of Mr. Trudeau who is often referred to as the “everything minister,” has been deputy prime minister since 2019 and has long been considered a potential successor.
But the two clashed sharply when Mr Trudeau moved to fire her in a Zoom call in December, handing her over as minister without portfolio. Instead, he chose to resign and gave Mr. Trudeau strong words of leadership as Canada prepares to face President-elect Donald J. Trump. Mr. Trump has threatened to impose tariffs on Canadian exports to the United States.
His stinging departure disturbed the tension of Mr. Trudeau in power. Three weeks later, on January 6, he announced that he would step down as leader of the Liberal Party and become prime minister when a new leader is in place.
Candidates for leadership positions will campaign ahead of the national election among party members in March. The new Liberal Party leader will also become Canada’s prime minister and lead the party into a general election expected in the spring.
Ms. Freeland will face a tough challenge to convince Canadians that she is the most suitable candidate to take on the Conservative Party and its leader, Pierre Poilievre.
The Conservatives, who lead the Liberals in polls by more than 25 percent, have sought to portray Ms. Freeland as part of the problem because of her close relationship with Mr. Trudeau and his key role in his government since 2015, when. he became the first prime minister.
Mr. Trudeau’s popularity has declined in recent years as Canadians have grown frustrated with the ever-increasing cost of living in everything from housing to grocery bills.
Many Canadians have also begun to oppose the government’s immigration policy, which has resulted in 2.3 million people arriving in the country in two years. Although the government says immigrants are needed to help fill the gap in low-income jobs, many Canadians say the new arrivals have contributed to rising housing prices and stress on jobs. the healthcare system.
Ms. Freeland accused Mr. Trudeau of a political coup after clashing with her office over a temporary sales tax break during the year-end holiday.
The government estimated the tax breaks, which covered items such as restaurant bills and some toys and clothing, were worth about C$1.6 billion, or $1.1 billion, Ms. Freeland said. that Canada “doesn’t understand” when Mr. Trump is raising tariffs.
“We need to take this threat seriously,” Ms. Freeland said in her resignation letter. “That means keeping the financial dust dry today, so we have the reserves we need for future tariff fights.”
Ms. Freeland was born and raised in Alberta and is of Ukrainian ancestry. He has been a strong supporter of Ukraine on the world stage, condemning Russia’s invasion.
He studied at the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar, and worked as a journalist and newsroom leader at several news organizations, including the Financial Times and Reuters, before he joined the Liberal Party in 2013. He is married to a journalist in the Culture Bureau of The New York Times and has three children.
During Mr. Trump’s first term, Ms. Freeland led Canada’s negotiations on the North American Free Trade Agreement with the United States and Mexico, showing steely confidence during tough talks with at a strangely difficult time. (Ms. Freeland was photographed arriving in Washington in 2018 wearing a white T-shirt that read “Keep Calm and Negotiate NAFTA.”)
But he also angered Mr Trump during the negotiations and his animosity does not appear to have subsided.
When Ms. Freeland resigned in December, Mr. Trump triumphantly tweeted: “Her behavior has been completely toxic, and she has never been good at making a deal that is good for our unhappy citizens.” Canada. He will not miss!!! “…
As finance minister, he led the government’s landmark program to reduce the cost of day care for parents and tackle child poverty.
His announcement on Friday marks the second entry by a top contender in the Liberal Party leadership race. He will face Mark Carney, the former head of the central bank of Canada and England, who announced he will run on Thursday.
Mr Carney is a close friend of Ms Freeland and the father of one of her three children. Mr. Trudeau’s team tapped him to take Ms. Freeland’s place in government in December, but he turned down the job.
