Canadian finance minister’s resignation letter to PM Trudeau

OTTAWA (Reuters) – Canada’s Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland unexpectedly resigned on Monday, saying she was now not on the identical web page with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about the perfect path ahead for Canada. Following is the complete textual content of her resignation letter.

December 16, 2024

The Proper Honourable Justin Trudeau, P.C., M.P.

80 Wellington Road

Ottawa, ON KIA 0A2

Pricey Prime Minister,

It has been the honour of my life to serve in authorities, working for Canada and Canadians. We now have achieved rather a lot collectively.

On Friday, you advised me you now not need me to function your Finance Minister and provided me one other place within the Cupboard.

Upon reflection, I’ve concluded that the one trustworthy and viable path is for me to resign from the Cupboard.

To be efficient, a Minister should converse on behalf of the Prime Minister and along with his full confidence. In making your choice, you made clear that I now not credibly take pleasure in that confidence and possess the authority that comes with it.

For the previous variety of weeks, you and I’ve discovered ourselves at odds about the perfect path ahead for Canada.

Our nation at present faces a grave problem. The incoming administration in america is pursuing a coverage of aggressive financial nationalism, together with a risk of 25 per cent tariffs.

We have to take that risk extraordinarily critically. Meaning preserving our fiscal powder dry at present, so we have now the reserves we may have for a coming tariff battle. Meaning eschewing pricey political gimmicks, which we will unwell afford and which make Canadians doubt that we acknowledge the gravity of the second.

Meaning pushing again towards ‘America First’ financial nationalism with a decided effort to combat for capital and funding and the roles they convey. Meaning working in good religion and humility with the Premiers of the provinces and territories of our nice and various nation, and constructing a real Group Canada response.

I do know Canadians would acknowledge and respect such an strategy. They know after we are working for them, and so they equally know after we are centered on ourselves. Inevitably, our time in authorities will come to an finish. However how we take care of the risk our nation at the moment faces will outline us for a era, and maybe longer. Canada will win if we’re robust, sensible, and united.

It’s this conviction which has pushed my strenuous efforts this fall to handle our spending in methods that may give us the pliability we might want to meet the intense challenges offered by america.

I’ll all the time be glad about the prospect to have served in authorities and I’ll all the time be happy with our authorities’s work for Canada and Canadians.

I look ahead to persevering with to work with my colleagues as a Liberal Member of Parliament, and I’m dedicated to operating once more for my seat in Toronto within the subsequent federal election.

With gratitude,

The Hounourable Chrystia Freeland, P.C., M.P.