Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau faces the biggest test of his political career after Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, long one of his most powerful and loyal ministers, announced Monday that she was resigning from the Cabinet.
"For the past number of weeks, you and I have found ourselves at odds about the best path forward for Canada," Freeland said. The resignation comes as Freeland, who chaired a Cabinet committee on US relations, was set to deliver the fall economic statement and likely announce border security measures designed to help Canada avoid Trump's tariffs.
"This news has hit me really hard," Transport Minister Anita Anand said, adding that she needed to digest the news before commenting further. "Mr. Trudeau's government is over," Opposition Bloc Quebecois leader Yves-François Blanchet said. "He must acknowledge that and act accordingly. The departure of his most important ally, his finance minister, is the end of this government."
Freeland said in the resignation letter that Canadians "know when we are working for them, and they equally know when we are focused on ourselves. Inevitably, our time in government will come to an end."