Prime Minister Trudeau has lost multiple cabinet ministers since September
Chrystia Freeland resigned from Prime Minister Trudeau’s cabinet on the same day she was to deliver the Fall Economic Statement.
The minister of finance and deputy prime minister posted a letter to social media just after 9am ET on Dec. 16 indicating her decision came after a conversation she had with the prime minister last week.
“On Friday, you told me you no longer want me to serve as your Finance Minister and offered me another position in the Cabinet,” her letter says. “Upon further reflection, I have concluded that the only honest and viable path is for me to resign from the Cabinet.”
Freeland’s letter goes on to say she and Trudeau have been “at odds” about Canada’s future for weeks, and that the country can’t afford “political gimmicks” in the face of the incoming Trump administration and those looming 25 per cent tariffs.
Her letter also says she will remain an MP in her Toronto riding and run in the next federal election.
In addition to losing Freeland on Monday, Trudeau’s housing minister is also leaving.
Sean Fraser, the MP for Central Nova, told Canadians he informed the prime minister months ago, while recovering from back surgery, that he won’t be running in the next election to spend more time with his family.
“My kids aren’t getting any younger and they’re going to need their dad around,” he said.
With Freeland and Fraser’s departures, Prime Minister Trudeau has lost eight ministers since September for differing reasons:
- Pablo Rodriguez, the MP for Honoré-Mercier, resigned as minister of transport and is sitting as an Independent until the Quebec Liberal Party leadership race.
- Hamilton West-Ancaster-Dundas MP Filomena Tassi, the minister of the Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario isn’t running again so she can be closer to her family.
- Saint Boniface-Saint-Vital MP Dan Vandal, the minister of northern affairs, said he’s ready for life outside politics.
- Delta MP and Sport Minister Carla Qualtrough said it’s time to move on other opportunities.
- Marie-Claude Bibeau, a former ag minister and minister of national revenue, won’t run in Compton-Stanstead to instead run in next year’s mayoral race in Sherbrooke.
- Employment Minister Randy Boissonnault resigned from cabinet after questions over his claims of Indigenous identity and business dealings.