Chrystia Freeland said the country must keep its “fiscal powder dry” for a potential tariff war with the US
Chrystia Freeland, Canada’s finance minister and deputy prime minister, resigned from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s cabinet on Monday, citing policy disagreements and growing concerns over his economic direction. Her resignation comes in the wake of new controversy surrounding her family’s past, particularly her grandfather’s ties to Nazi collaboration in Ukraine.
Freeland, who has served in top roles within Trudeau’s Liberal government since 2013, delivered a critical resignation letter accusing the prime minister of prioritizing “costly political gimmicks” over prudent fiscal management amid looming US tariff threats. She specifically opposed Trudeau’s proposed sales tax holiday and $175 direct payments to Canadians, calling them unaffordable.
“We need to take [U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s] tariff threats seriously,” Freeland wrote. “That means keeping our fiscal powder dry… and avoiding wasteful spending that undermines Canadians’ trust in our leadership.”
Trudeau quickly appointed longtime ally Dominic LeBlanc, then public safety minister, as Freeland’s replacement. He was sworn in the same day and vowed to tackle inflation and ease strained U.S.-Canada relations.
However, Freeland’s departure has reignited scrutiny of her family’s wartime past. Her maternal grandfather, Michael Chomiak, edited a Nazi-controlled Ukrainian newspaper that disseminated anti-Semitic propaganda during World War II. Despite public records confirming his role, Freeland long dismissed the reports as Russian disinformation. (more...)
Ukrainian Nazi-grandad scandal Canadian finance minister quits
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