PLC leadership: Freeland launches campaign to “defend Canada” against Trump

“It’s time to fight for Canada”: former Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland officially launched her campaign to succeed Justin Trudeau on Sunday afternoon during a rally in Toronto. However, his speech was interrupted several times by protesters present in the room.

As soon as he arrived on stage, pro-Palestinian demonstrators mixed with his activists disrupted the ceremony, making themselves heard loudly. They were then escorted from the gathering.

Once calm returned, the leadership candidate posed herself as the best candidate to confront Donald Trump, who is threatening to impose 25% customs tariffs on Canadian imports.

Our country faces what could well be an existential threatestimated the former Minister of Finance, recalling in the same breath that she already succeeded in negotiating with the American president in 2018, resulting in the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA).

Donald Trump knows exactly who I am. There’s a reason he doesn’t like it very much: the last time we came face to face, I fought for Canada. And we won.

Here is my promise: if you choose me as leader of the Liberal Party and as Prime Minister, I will lead a true Canadian response to the threat weighing on us. We will be united, we will be strong, and we will be smart. This is why we will winshe added.

I have a message today for President Trump: We don’t want to fight with you, but if the fight comes to our door, remember that we love our country as much as you love yours. If you hit us, we will hit back. […] We will deal you the biggest trade blow America has ever suffereddropped the Liberal MP.

She also touted some of her accomplishments as minister, including the negotiation of a trade agreement with the European Union, the establishment of the federal $10 daycare program, and the management of the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19.

What’s more, the MP has committed to running in the next federal election, even if she suffers a defeat in this leadership race. All other candidates for leadership should make the same commitment. In the next elections, everyone will have to pitch inshe pleaded.

We won’t let anyone silence our voice

Chrystia Freeland returned to the demonstrators who prevented her from giving her speech, delaying the progress of the meeting.

The protest is important and we are a free country. People are free to express divergent views. What is not acceptable is to prevent other people from expressing their views. […] We will not let anyone disrupt our democracyshe said.

I’m not afraid and I’m not going to back down.

We won’t let anyone silence our voice […]. Now is the time to launch our campaign. It’s time to fight for Canadashe said.

If you want to oppose Donald Trump, and that’s what I’m going to do, you can’t let a little noise stop youshe said, referring to the demonstrators.

In a letter published Friday in the pages of daily newspapers Duty et Toronto Starthe MP for the constituency of University–Rosedalein Toronto, had already confirmed that she would be in the running.

Mark Carney, former governor of the Bank of Canada, and Karina Gould, the leader of the Liberal government in the House of Commons, are also there, in particular.

Resignation from Cabinet

The former finance minister slammed the Cabinet door with a bang a month ago, citing disagreements with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

In an interview with LCN on Friday, Mr. Trudeau’s former close ally explained that the checks electoralists of $250 promised by the Prime Minister – ultimately left out of the economic statement – ​​were the last straw that pushed her to resign.

According to Ms. Freeland, Canada had to keep financial reserves in the face of Mr. Trump’s tariff threats.

Ministers Dominic LeBlanc, Mélanie Joly and François-Philippe Champagne have decided not to run for the leadership, preferring to focus on their role within the Cabinet and on managing relations with the new Trump administration.

Furthermore, like her opponents Mark Carney and Karina Gould, Chrystia Freeland would, if elected, abandon the carbon tax intended for individuals, a key environmental measure of the Liberal government.

A series of promotions

A journalist by trade, Chrystia Freeland entered the House of Commons after a by-election in Toronto Center in 2013.

When the Liberals came to power two years later, she quickly established herself as a leading figure in the Trudeau government, first as Minister of International Trade.

She then had to face the administration of Donald Trump, which imposed a renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The new agreement, called theACEratified in 2018, contains certain gains for Canada, but further opens the Canadian market to American producers, which makes many farmers cringe.

The next few years will cement his role as Justin Trudeau’s right-hand man. In 2019, she not only got the role of Minister of Foreign Affairs, but she was also appointed Deputy Prime Minister of the country. A year later, she took over as head of the Ministry of Finance, the first woman to access this position, often considered the most important in the Council of Ministers.

This series of promotions which will make the break between Ms. Freeland and Mr. Trudeau all the more dramatic, at the origin of the political crisis that has plagued the Liberal government since the end of 2024.

Shortly before her resignation, Mr. Trudeau announced his intention to replace her at Finance once the economic statement was passed. The minister instead made a splash, resigning the very morning of the presentation of the economic statement.

The Prime Minister had asked him to remain deputy prime minister and offered him a position as minister without portfolio to manage Canadian-American relations. However, Ms. Freeland feared not having the freedom in such a position to confront the new Trump administration.

With information from Jean-François Thériault