“Today I am calling on Justin Trudeau to resign. He must resign,” Singh said. “Right now, Canadians are struggling with the cost of living. You hear that voice everywhere you go. People can’t find housing they can afford. They can’t buy groceries. On top of that, President Trump… It is threatening to impose a tariff of 25%, which would put hundreds of thousands of Canadian jobs at risk. ”
“And instead of focusing on these issues, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Liberals focused on themselves,” he continued. “Instead of fighting for Canadians, they’re fighting themselves. That’s why today I’m calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to resign. He must go.”
Still, after attending LeBlanc’s swearing-in ceremony, Trudeau addressed the party’s caucus (the press could see him for a while through the window, but the public could not) and remained in office. He seemed determined. LeBlanc, a longtime Liberal MP who will continue to serve as minister of intergovernmental affairs, calmly answered questions from reporters after taking office.
LeBlanc identified cost-of-living concerns as a top focus as finance minister and called the recent meeting between President Trump and Prime Minister Trudeau at Mar-a-Lago “a number of priorities,” including border security. He explained that this was a conversation between the two leaders with a focus on the two leaders. Freeland is a friend and “someone I respect as a colleague.”
After a meeting on Friday, the same day Freeland was scheduled to deliver his delayed fall economic statement to Parliament, Freeland said in his resignation letter that Trudeau told him he no longer wanted the finance minister position. I wrote it. The viable path for me is to resign from the Cabinet.”
The Associated Press reported, “A Liberal Party official said Mr. Freeland was offered the post as minister for Canada-U.S. relations without a portfolio or department.” The official spoke on condition of anonymity because Liberal Party officials were not authorized to speak publicly. The problem, he said, was that that position was nominal and would not have come with any of the tools Freeland previously had in trade negotiations with the United States. ”
At least one member of Parliament was among those who orchestrated this development, which included Prime Minister Trudeau forcing Freeland, who also served as deputy prime minister, out of the cabinet. According to CBC:
When asked about the timing of Freeland’s resignation, NDP MP Charlie Angus didn’t mince words.
“What the hell? How do you think the Prime Minister tipping off the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the eve of the statement we’ve been waiting for for months is going to put things back on track?” Angus said.
“The prime minister is missing, the deputy prime minister and the finance minister have jumped. The prime minister needs to turn up and explain how this gong show will be tolerated.”
As the Guardian noted, “Prime Minister Freeland and Prime Minister Trudeau are reportedly at odds over proposals for temporary tax cuts and other spending measures aimed at consolidating political support. However, there is a risk that Mr. Freeland will not be able to meet his spending goals.”
In his resignation letter to Prime Minister Trudeau, which he also shared on social media, Freeland acknowledged that “in recent weeks, you and I have found ourselves at odds over the best path forward for Canada.” Ta.
“Our nation faces significant challenges today. The next U.S. administration is pursuing aggressive economic nationalist policies, including the threat of 25% tariffs,” the former finance minister wrote. .
“We need to take that threat extremely seriously,” she continued. “That means keeping today’s fiscal spark dry and securing the reserves that may be needed for the coming tariff war. It means avoiding expensive political maneuvering that we can’t afford and that makes us question whether Canadians realize the gravity of the moment.”
“That means resisting ‘America First’ economic nationalism with a determined effort to fight for capital and investment and the jobs they bring,” she added. “That means working honestly and humbly with the premiers of the provinces and territories of this great, diverse country to build a truly Team Canada response.”
Freeland attended the caucus meeting and announced that he would be resigning from the Cabinet but not as a Liberal MP. She also wrote that she was “determined to run for the seat of Toronto in the next federal election.”
Despite Mr Freeland’s departure from the Cabinet, the Autumn Economic Statement was tabled in Parliament on Monday. Reuters reported that “Canada’s budget deficit for the year ending March was C$61.9 billion ($43.45 billion), more than half of last year’s forecast and a shortfall in three key fiscal goals that Freeland sought to achieve. I couldn’t accomplish one of them.”
Much of the additional spending is due to one-time payments of C$4.7 billion ($3.3 billion) related to the COVID-19 pandemic and C$16.4 billion ($11.52 billion) in benefits to indigenous peoples. Reuters pointed out, but even without it, the deficit will continue. This is approximately C$40.8 billion ($28.66 billion), higher than the previous estimate of C$40 billion ($28.1 billion).
In an apparent agreement with President Trump’s request, the fiscal update said, “The government is committed to securing our borders and combating criminal networks that seek to move illicit goods, drugs, and people across our shared border with the United States.” “I am doing so,” he said.
The statement said nothing about the proposed C$250 ($175.63) “Working Canadians Rebate,” which would provide relief to about 19 million people and provide an estimated C$4.68 billion. It was expected to cost $3.29 billion.
