[Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Faces Biggest Test of His Political Career After Finance Minister’s Resignation
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau faces the biggest test of his political career after Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, one of his most powerful and loyal ministers, announced her resignation from the Cabinet. The move has stunned the country and raised questions about how much longer Trudeau can stay in his job.
Freeland, who was also deputy prime minister, said that Trudeau had told her Friday that he no longer wanted her to serve as finance minister and that he offered her another role in the Cabinet. However, she said in her resignation letter that the only “honest and viable path” was to leave the Cabinet.
The resignation comes as Freeland was set to deliver the fall economic statement and likely announce border security measures designed to help Canada avoid US President-elect Donald Trump’s tariffs. The US president-elect has threatened to impose a 25% tax on all products entering the US from Canada and Mexico unless they stem the numbers of migrants and drugs.
Trudeau has said that he plans on leading the Liberal Party into the next election, but there are some party members who don’t want him to run for a fourth term. It wasn’t immediately clear what Freeland’s resignation from the Cabinet means for Trudeau’s immediate future.
The resignation has raised questions about the stability of the government and the opposition Conservative leader, Pierre Poilievre, said that the government is losing control at the worst possible time. “Justin Trudeau has lost control, but he’s hanging onto power,” Poilievre said.
No Canadian prime minister in more than a century has won four straight terms, and the federal election has to be held before October. The Liberals must rely on the support of at least one major party in Parliament, because they don’t hold an outright majority themselves.
Trudeau’s legacy includes opening the doors wide to immigration, legalizing cannabis, and bringing in a carbon tax intended to fight climate change. Freeland said in her resignation letter that Canadians “know when we are working for them, and they equally know when we are focused on ourselves. Inevitably, our time in government will come to an end.”
Freeland’s resignation comes as Trudeau has been trying to recruit Mark Carney to join his government. Carney is the former head of the Bank of England and Bank of Canada. It wasn’t immediately clear if Carney has agreed to join Trudeau’s Cabinet.
The resignation has sent shockwaves through the government and opposition parties, with some calling it a “bombshell” and a “political earthquake.”
Source link
