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Fiscal update in limbo after Freeland quits as finance minister

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 16 Dec, 2024 11:44 AM

The Liberal government's plans to unveil a fall economic update on Monday were thrown into disarray by the finance minister's abrupt resignation.

Chrystia Freeland released a letter Monday morning announcing her decision to step aside after she and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau "found ourselves at odds about the best path forward for Canada."

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

Freeland's letter cited the threat of tariffs from incoming U.S. president Donald Trump and said she made "strenuous efforts this fall to manage our spending" to counter that threat.

But, she said, Trudeau's decision to offer her a different cabinet post on Friday has shown a lack of confidence in her as minister and she hs stepped away from cabinet altogether.

Media and stakeholders were gathered in Ottawa in the morning to receive embargoed copies of the fall economic statement, but the documents were not handed out. Media have been told the documents will be distributed at 1:45 p.m. ET.

Freeland was set to present the fiscal update in the House of Commons later on Monday afternoon.

A senior government source, who was not authorized to speak publicly about the plans, said a cabinet minister will present the update in Parliament. It is not yet clear who that will be, though the source noted it does not have to be the finance minister.

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