OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has chosen his top fixer in cabinet, Dominic LeBlanc, to replace Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland after she suddenly tendered her resignation from cabinet Monday morning.
Freeland said she felt she had to step down from cabinet because the prime minister had lost faith in her and wanted to assign her to a new role, after she fought back against decisions that ballooned the deficit far past what she previously pledged.
Her departure from Trudeau's front bench reignited calls for the prime minister to step down and call an election, though no such vote is imminent with MPs poised to break soon for the holidays.
Trudeau moved to swiftly fill the position, having LeBlanc sworn in as finance minister at a ceremony at Rideau Hall late on Monday, while the Liberal caucus met halfway across town following a tumultuous day for their party.
“We understand that cost of living for a huge, huge number of Canadians is a very significant issue and they expect their government to be focused on affordability issues,” LeBlanc said after the ceremony.
LeBlanc will also lead the Canada-U.S. cabinet committee, formerly Freeland’s role following her deep involvement in Canada's response to the last Trump White House.
In her resignation letter, Freeland said she and Trudeau found themselves at odds for weeks about "the best path forward for Canada."
She said the country faces a "grave challenge" with the incoming Donald Trump administration and its threat of 25 per cent tariffs.
"We need to take that threat extremely seriously. That means keeping our fiscal powder dry, so we have the reserves we may need for a coming tariff war. That means eschewing costly political gimmicks, which we can ill afford and which make Canadians doubt that we recognize the gravity of the moment."
Opposition parties used the moment to paint a picture of a government in complete disarray.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre charged that Freeland's resignation proves Trudeau has lost his grip.
"The government of Canada itself is spiralling out of control, right before our eyes, and at the very worst time," he told reporters on Parliament Hill.
Poilievre said it's up to NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, whose caucus has supported the minority Liberals in key confidence votes throughout the fall, to force an election.
Singh called on Trudeau to step down as Liberal leader, saying the Liberals are "fighting themselves instead of fighting for Canadians."
He said "all options are on the table," yet refused to say if he is finally ready to bring down the minority government.
Singh's New Democrats voted with the Liberals to defeat Conservative non-confidence motions in the House of Commons three times this fall.
Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet said the prime minister should call an election early in the new year centred around who is best positioned to take on the Trump administration.
"Mr. Trudeau's government is over. He must acknowledge that and act accordingly,” Blanchet said.
Liberal MP Chad Collins, who signed a letter in October with 23 of his Liberal caucus colleagues calling on Trudeau to step down, re-upped his demand, and so too did vocal Liberal dissenter Wayne Long.
A senior government official not authorized to speak publicly on the matter told The Canadian Press that the prime minister does not intend to resign, but all other options are being considered, including proroguing Parliament.
Freeland's resignation came just as she was to deliver the fall economic statement, which revealed a deficit of $61.9 billion that blew past the fiscal guardrail she set of $40 billion for the year.
The financial package announced along with her snapshot of the government's finances also contains measures designed to respond to Trump's demands Canada beef up its border security.
Freeland's criticism that the government is engaging in political gimmicks comes closely on the heels of its decision to grant consumers a temporary GST holiday.
Neither Freeland nor Trudeau were in the House of Commons for question period Monday, and Poilievre made sure to needle the government for not having a finance minister for most of Monday.
"I have a question for the finance minister," he said, looking across to Freeland's empty seat. "Who are you?"
Freeland's bombshell announcement also landed just as Housing Minister Sean Fraser was holding his own news conference to announce he will not seek re-election, citing a need to be closer to his family.
Fraser is seen internally as a good communicator and a top performer in cabinet. His name has even been floated at times in speculation as someone who could one day replace Trudeau.
Cabinet ministers were terse reacting to the news but the few who spoke to reporters expressed confidence in the prime minister and said they will stand by the fiscal update.
Treasury Board President Anita Anand said outside the cabinet room that Freeland is a good friend to her and that "this news has hit me really hard."
Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon said he regrets Freeland's departure, but the government "remains very strong with a number of very capable ministers and the prime minister.”
Trudeau's Liberals have trailed behind Poilievre's Conservative party for more than a year now as an affordability crisis grips the nation.
That's put the Trudeau government consistently on the ropes and on track to lose power in the next election, which must happen before next October, unless something changes to improve his party's fortunes.
Rumours of a cabinet shuffle have swirled in Ottawa since several cabinet ministers announced they will not run in the next campaign, and speculation grew as two others left their roles either due to scandal or to seek office elsewhere.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 16, 2024.
Kyle Duggan, The Canadian Press
