Chrystia Freeland quits cabinet the day of fall economic statement

Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland has resigned from cabinet, the day she is set to present the fall economic statement. 

In a resignation letter, she says Prime Minister Justin Trudeau offered her another role in cabinet Friday, but that the only “honest and viable path” is to leave cabinet. 

CBC News reported today that the offer was a “minister without portfolio role dealing with Canada-U.S. relations.”

Freeland says for the past several weeks that she and the prime minister have found themselves at odds about the best path forward for Canada.

She says Canada faces a grave challenge with the incoming Trump administration and its threat of tariffs.

She says the government needs to take the threat seriously and that means “eschewing costly political gimmicks.”  

She says she is committed to running again for her seat in the next federal election.

David Baxter, The Canadian Press

David Baxter is a reporter with The Canadian Press, a national news agency headquartered in Toronto and founded in 1917.