Canada Deputy PM Chrystia Freeland Resigns, Says 'No Longer On Same Page With Trudeau'

Chrystia Freeland, who is also the country's Finance Minister,  quit just hours before she was due to present a fall economic update to parliament.

File photo of Chrystia Freeland.

Source : X/Chrystia Freeland

Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland resigned on Monday, saying she was no longer on the same page with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about the best path forward for Canada.

Freeland, who is also the country's Finance Minister, quit just hours before she was due to present a fall economic update to parliament. She had served as the finance minister since August 2020. 

See my letter to the Prime Minister below // Veuillez trouver ma lettre au Premier ministre ci-dessous pic.twitter.com/NMMMcXUh7A

— Chrystia Freeland (@cafreeland) December 16, 2024

"For the last number of weeks, you and I have found ourselves at odds over the best path forward for Canada," Freeland said in a letter to Trudeau on X.

"On Friday, you told me you no longer want me to serve as your Finance Minister and offered me another position in the Cabinet. Upon reflection, I have concluded that the only honest and viable path is for me to resign from the Cabinet," she said in the letter.

Local media reports said that Freeland and Justine Trudeau clashed over a government proposal for temporary tax breaks and other spending measures.

"To be effective, a Minister must speak on behalf of the Prime Minister and with his full confidence. In making your decision, you made clear that I no longer credibly enjoy that confidence and possess the authority that comes with it. For the past number of weeks, you and I have found ourselves at odds about the best path forward for Canada," she added.

Freeland's resignation comes shortly after reports said that Canadian Housing Minister Sean Fraser is resigning from cabinet.

A report in Financial Post also said that Trudeau is preparing to shuffle his cabinet due to multiple departures over the past few months. Fraser is one of the highest-profile exits and had been seen as a rising star in the party.