Chrystia Freeland, following her resignation as Minister of Finance, is advocating for her decision as she campaigns for leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada. She claims her resignation led to significant savings and reflects on her disagreements with Prime Minister Trudeau regarding fiscal policies. Freeland emphasizes the need for a strong financial strategy to address potential threats from Trump’s presidency and outlines her approach, which includes building power, avoiding conflict, and collaborating with allies.
Chrystia Freeland’s Bold Move in Ottawa
On December 16, Chrystia Freeland’s resignation sent shockwaves through Ottawa. Now, over a month later, she is staunchly defending her choice just hours after officially entering the race for the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada (LPC).
Freeland’s Reflection on Her Resignation
“I regret nothing,” Freeland asserted during her first exclusive interview in Quebec since announcing her candidacy, which aired on LCN on Friday. She noted that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was poised to strip her of her duties as Minister of Finance, a move that ultimately pushed her to resign.
A significant factor behind her resignation was her disagreement with Trudeau, particularly regarding fiscal policies. Freeland claims that her decision has already yielded substantial savings. “One of the consequences of my resignation is that we saved over 6 billion dollars,” she stated, referencing the cancellation of the controversial 250-dollar checks.
While she firmly believes her choice was in the best interest of the Canadian public, she acknowledged the personal difficulty of making such a decision. “I know I did a hard but necessary thing,” she emphasized. “It was the right thing to do.”
Freeland expressed concern over what she termed “electoral” spending, indicating that Ottawa cannot afford such expenditures, especially in light of the challenges posed by Donald Trump’s imminent presidency. “I understand the threat that Trump poses to Canada, to Quebec,” she explained. “I realized at that moment that we cannot afford electoral spending. […] This is a very critical moment.”
She urged that all government financial decisions should prioritize addressing this looming threat, particularly while the new president continues to issue tariff threats.
Freeland’s Leadership Aspirations and Strategy
Despite the nation’s debt rising from 680 to 1200 billion dollars over the last nine years—a challenging record for Freeland to defend—she remains optimistic about succeeding Trudeau. “I think my experience today is a […] necessary thing for Canada in a critical moment,” she mentioned confidently.
Freeland insists that, despite her political history with Trudeau, she is an individual capable of leading and holds no responsibility for Canada’s current financial situation since her departure last December. She believes she is uniquely qualified to combat the challenges posed by Trump. “My experience is a great thing because I have done this before and I succeeded,” she asserted.
To counter Trump’s potential presidency, Freeland proposed a three-pronged strategy. “First, we must start with a strong position. I know President Trump, he does not respect weakness, he only respects power,” she indicated.
While she refrained from labeling Trudeau as weak, she admitted that electoral spending “was not part of a strong defense plan.” Secondly, she stressed the importance of demonstrating that conflict can be avoided and that a win-win outcome is possible. Lastly, she emphasized the need for Canada to collaborate with its allies. “We are not the only country threatened by the United States, and the United States is not the only strong country in the world,” she concluded.
*For more insights, watch the full interview in the video above.*