Canada’s Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland Resigns After Policy Clash with PM Trudeau

Canada’s Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland resigns.

Read her letter here:

Canadian Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland abruptly resigned, citing policy disagreements with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Her departure comes just before the release of a fall economic update, expected to reveal a larger-than-projected deficit. Freeland’s letter suggests a recent offer from Trudeau for a different cabinet position, which she declined.

Canada’s Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland unexpectedly resigned on Monday, saying she was no longer on the same page with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about the best path forward for Canada.

Freeland quit just hours before she was due to present a fall economic update to parliament, a document widely expected to show the Liberal government had run up a much larger 2023/24 budget deficit than planned.

“For the last number of weeks, you and I have found ourselves at odds over the best path forward for Canada,” Freeland said in a letter to Trudeau posted on X.

Freeland, seen as one of Trudeau’s closest allies in cabinet, also served as deputy prime minister.

Domestic media reports said Freeland and Trudeau had clashed over a government proposal for temporary tax breaks and other spending measures.