Getty ImagesCanadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government is thrown into fresh turmoil with the sudden resignation of Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland.
By the end of a frenetic Monday, a new finance minister had been sworn in, but Trudeau was facing calls for his resignation from members of his own Liberal party.
“It’s obviously been an eventful day. It’s not been an easy day,” the prime minister did not directly address the news, telling party donors at an event in Ottawa.
In a scathing resignation letter released on the day he was scheduled to issue an economic statement, Freeland cited disagreements with longtime allies over how to respond to Donald Trump’s tariff threats. I mentioned it.
The incoming US president, who is due to return to the White House in January, has vowed to impose a 25% tariff on Canadian imports unless border security is improved.
Economists say tariffs could have a devastating impact on Canada’s economy.
In his letter, Freeland accused Trudeau of choosing “expensive political maneuvers” to address the threat posed by President Trump’s “aggressive economic nationalism.”
Trump himself later responded to Freeland, posting, “Her actions were completely harmful and did nothing to help us get a deal that was beneficial to very unfortunate Canadians.”
Freeland said she made the decision after Trudeau said last week that he no longer wanted her as the government’s chief economic adviser.
Her resignation blindsided the government, leaving the fate of planned economic policy in limbo for hours and pushing Prime Minister Trudeau and his volatile minority Liberal Party to the brink.
Adding to the blow, the Liberals lost control of British Columbia’s Cloverdale-Langley municipal seat after their Conservative rivals won a by-election. It was the Liberal Party’s third defeat in a by-election this year.
Chris Sands, director of the Wilson Center’s Canada Institute, told the BBC that Freeland’s sudden resignation as finance minister earlier in the day “leads Canada looking quite confused and uncertain.” Ta.
“Prime Minister Trudeau is not very close to anyone in his cabinet and feels a little bit alone because most of the great and talented ministers have left,” he added.
Mr Sands said Mr Trump’s victory in the US presidential election in November had created a rift between US allies, including Canada.
“Do you respond by pushing back against Trump and taking a firm stance, or do you respond by finding ways to avoid conflict?” he said.
Last month, Prime Minister Trudeau made overtures to President Trump, including flying to Mar-a-Lago, the president-elect’s Florida residence, to have dinner with the president-elect.
But Sands said Freeland’s view is closer to that of Mexico and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, who also face the threat of tariffs.
He said Mexico is positioning itself with the idea that “now is the time to say no, to push back, to take a fighting stance.”
He added that many politicians remember the challenges faced during President Trump’s first term.
“He hasn’t taken office yet, but people are already reacting as if he’s president and taking serious steps.”
Mr. Freeland, who also served as deputy prime minister, led Mr. Ottawa in successfully renegotiating the U.S.-Canada-Mexico free trade agreement during the first Trump administration.
Sands said this has been a “really stressful and overwhelming process for Canada.”
In addition to members of the prime minister’s own party who have called on Trudeau to resign, the leaders of Canada’s three opposition parties also said Monday that Trudeau should resign.
Pierre Poièvre, leader of the opposition Conservative Party of Canada, called for a federal election as soon as possible.
“Everything is out of control. We can’t continue like this,” he said.
Canada’s next federal election must be held in October at the latest.
Laura Stevenson, chair of Western University’s political science department, told the BBC it was not clear whether the change in leadership would affect the current power relationship between the US and Canada.
“I’m not confident that President Trump will react differently to Poilievre than he does to Prime Minister Trudeau,” she said.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been in power for nine years, but there are growing calls for him to resign over concerns he could be a drag on the party’s fortunes.
According to one pollster, the Liberal leader’s approval rating has plummeted from 63% when he was first elected to 28% in June this year.
Opinion polls also suggest that the Liberals could suffer a crushing defeat against the Conservatives if the election were held today.
Some Liberal MPs have been pressuring Trudeau to resign for months – eight MPs publicly expressed this sentiment on Monday, according to Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail.
In a meeting with the executive committee following Freeland’s resignation on Monday, Trudeau reportedly heard some of the calls for his resignation firsthand. Some expressed concerns and concerns about his leadership.
According to people who spoke to Canadian media about the meeting, Trudeau told them he would not immediately resign but would reflect on the day’s events.
ReutersTrudeau did not take questions on his way to a fundraiser in Ottawa, but told the crowd he was “very proud” of his government’s accomplishments.
In brief remarks, he said working for Canadian values is “at the heart of what makes us Liberal.”
“That’s why we show up here, even on our toughest days as a party.”
Prime Minister Trudeau has ignored previous calls to resign and has repeatedly said he intends to run in the next federal election.
Also on Monday, Canadian provincial and territorial leaders met in Toronto to address President Trump’s tariff threats.
“Ottawa is in chaos right now,” Ontario Premier Doug Ford said.
Ford said the prime ministers will “make sure to tell the world that there is stability and certainty here in Canada.”
