As many thought, a familiar face will enter the ring for the Liberal leadership in Canada. Chrystia Freeland, former Finance Minister, is expected to announce her bid for the party leadership ahead of the U.S. presidential inauguration, according to a campaign source.
Freeland’s first major policy pledge will be to impose dollar-for-dollar retaliatory tariffs on U.S. imports in response to President-elect Donald Trump’s planned 25% tariffs on Canadian goods. Trump’s tariffs are set to take effect on January 20, and both federal and provincial governments are preparing their response. Freeland, who played a key role in Canada’s retaliation during Trump’s first term, resigned from cabinet last month after being replaced as Finance Minister by Mark Carney.
Freeland’s resignation from cabinet Dec. 16th set in motion the final chapter of Justin Trudeau’s tenure at the top. Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne has plans today to reveal his intentions for the Liberal leadership race, which will add to Ontario MP Chandra Arya and former Montreal MP Frank Baylis who currently are the only two to officially join the contest.
Written by: C. Soares