New Delhi:

After nine years at the helm, Justin Trudeau has stepped down as Canada’s prime minister and the leader of the governing Liberal Party. The Liberals have to elect a new leader ahead of the October 2025 general elections, where surveys don’t paint an encouraging picture for the party. Several candidates are expected to enter the leadership race.

Here are the most prominent ones:

Chrystia Freeland

Chrystia Freeland, Canada’s former deputy prime minister, is among the prominent names expected to join the Liberal leadership race. Freeland resigned unexpectedly in December, citing disagreements with Justin Trudeau over “the best path forward for Canada.” A high-profile member of Trudeau’s team, Freeland has previously served as Canada’s minister of foreign affairs and minister of finance.

Last year, Freeland was asked why Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was previously on Canada’s no-fly list and had his bank accounts frozen, is being honoured posthumously in Parliament. She responded by acknowledging the solemn anniversary of Nijjar’s death and reaffirming Trudeau’s strong stance against threats to Canadians. She, however, avoided explaining the government’s previous actions against Nijjar or the reasons behind honouring him after his death.

Mark Carney

Mark Carney, former governor of the Bank of Canada, is widely seen as a top candidate for the Liberal Party leadership. Trudeau admitted he had long tried to bring Carney into his team, most recently offering him the role of finance minister after Chrystia Freeland’s exit. Carney declined.

He has recently been reaching out to Liberal MPs, gauging support for a potential leadership bid, according to the Toronto Star.

Mark Carney, Chair of Brookfield Asset Management, said in 2023 that he sees India as a major opportunity for investment due to its strong domestic demand and global supply chain shifts.

Anita Anand

Anita Anand, Canada’s Transport Minister, is considered one of the more ambitious members of the Liberal caucus. With a background in financial market regulation and corporate governance, the Indian-origin leader has held several key positions, including overseeing public services and procurement, defence, and the Treasury Board, in the federal government.

Last year, Anita Anand announced stronger security measures for air passengers travelling to India. This came after tensions between Canada and India increased when Trudeau accused India of being involved in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada. She said the security measures were for safety and included more checks for passengers flying from Canada to India.

Dominic LeBlanc

Dominic LeBlanc, Canada’s finance minister, stepped into the role immediately after Chrystia Freeland’s resignation and is one of Trudeau’s closest allies.

LeBlanc is a trusted ally of Trudeau. Their long-standing friendship includes LeBlanc babysitting Trudeau and his siblings in their youth. LeBlanc comes from a political family, with his father serving in the cabinet of Trudeau’s father, Pierre Trudeau. A former lawyer, he once ran for party leadership in 2008 but lost.

Last year, LeBlanc addressed serious allegations involving India’s foreign interference in Canada. He confirmed that the ongoing inquiry into foreign interference would also look into new claims of criminal activities, such as murder, coercion, and extortion, allegedly linked to Indian government agents. LeBlanc said that the inquiry’s current mandate already covers India’s involvement, and he was confident that the final report would include these new allegations.

Melanie Joly 

Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Melanie Joly, has navigated diplomatic tensions, including a rift with China and accusations involving the Indian government. She is known for her “pragmatic diplomacy”, which involves engaging with countries that Canada has disagreements with.

Last October, Joly expelled six Indian diplomats linked to alleged criminal activities targeting Canadian citizens. The move followed an RCMP investigation into the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in 2023.

Ottawa:

Canada’s Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland quit Monday in a surprise move after disagreeing with Justin Trudeau over US President-elect Donald Trump’s tariff threats.

Freeland also stepped down as finance minister, and her resignation marked the first open dissent against Prime Minister Trudeau from within his cabinet and may threaten his hold on power.

Liberal Party leader Trudeau lags 20 points in polls behind his main rival, Conservative Pierre Poilievre, who has tried three times since September to topple the government and force a snap election.

“Our country today faces a grave challenge,” Freeland said in her resignation letter, pointing to Trump’s planned 25 percent tariffs on Canadian imports.

“For the past number of weeks, you and I have found ourselves at odds about the best path forward for Canada.”

First elected to parliament in 2013, the former journalist joined Trudeau’s cabinet two years later when the Liberals swept to power, holding key posts including trade and foreign minister, and leading free trade negotiations with the EU and the United States.

Most recently, she had been tasked with helping lead Canada’s response to moves by the incoming Trump administration.

Canada’s main trading partner is the United States, with 75 percent of its exports each year going to its southern neighbor.

In her resignation letter, Freeland said Trudeau wanted to shuffle her to another job, to which she replied: “I have concluded that the only honest and viable path is for me to resign from the cabinet.”

As finance minister, she explained the need to take Trump’s tariffs threats “extremely seriously.”

Warning that it could lead to a “tariff war” with the United States, she said Ottawa must keep its “fiscal powder dry.”

“That means eschewing costly political gimmicks, which we can ill afford,” she said in an apparent rebuke of a recent sales tax holiday that critics said was costly and aimed at bolstering the ruling Liberals’ sagging political fortunes.

– Trouble for Trudeau –

Dalhousie University professor Lori Turnbull called Freeland’s exit “a total disaster.”

“It really shows that there is a crisis of confidence in Trudeau,” she said. “And makes it much harder for Trudeau to continue as prime minister.”

Until now, the cabinet has rallied around Trudeau as he faced pockets of dissent from backbench MPs, noted Genevieve Tellier, a professor at the University of Ottawa.

Freeland’s rejection of his economic policies poses “a big problem,” she said, and shows his team is not as united behind him as some thought.

Freeland’s departure comes on the same day she was scheduled to provide an update on the nation’s finances, amid reports the government would blow past Freeland’s deficit projections in the spring.

“This government is in shambles,” reacted Poilievre’s deputy leader, Andrew Scheer, to Freeland’s news, saying “Even she has lost confidence in Trudeau.”

Housing Minister Sean Fraser, who also announced Monday he was quitting politics, described Freeland as “professional and supportive.”

One of her closest friends and allies in cabinet, Anita Anand, told reporters: “This news has hit me really hard.”

Freeland said she would run in the next election, expected in 2025.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Canada’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland speaks during Question Period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada September 17, 2024.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland in a surprise announcement on Monday (December 16, 2024) quit over disagreements with Justin Trudeau on Canada’s response to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s tariff threats.

“Our country today faces a grave challenge,” Ms. Freeland, who also served as Finance Minister, said in a letter posted on X, pointing to Mr. Trump’s planned 25% tariffs on Canadian imports.

“For the past number of weeks, you and I have found ourselves at odds about the best path forward for Canada,” she added.

First elected to parliament in 2013, Ms. Freeland joined Mr. Trudeau’s cabinet two years later when the Liberals swept to power, overseeing several key posts including as Trade and Foreign Minister, and leading free trade negotiations with the EU and United States.

But she said in her resignation letter Mr. Trudeau wanted to shuffle her to another job, to which she said: “I have concluded that the only honest and viable path is for me to resign from the cabinet.”

As Finance Minister, Ms. Freeland explained the need to take Mr. Trump’s tariffs threats “extremely seriously.”

“That means keeping our fiscal powder dry today, so we have the reserves we may need for a coming tariff war. That means eschewing costly political gimmicks, which we can ill afford and which make Canadians doubt that we recognize the gravity of the moment.”

Canada’s main trading partner is the United States, with 75% of its exports going to its southern neighbour.