On December 16, the resignation of Chrystia Freeland caused quite a bombshell in Ottawa. More than a month later, she defends her decision just hours after officially announcing her candidacy for the leadership race of the Liberal Party of Canada (PLC).
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“I don’t regret anything,” she declared straight away during her first exclusive interview in Quebec since announcing her candidacy for leadership of the PLC, to LCN, on Friday.
Justin Trudeau was preparing to strip him of his responsibilities as Minister of Finance, which was the last straw before his resignation.
However, one of the main factors behind this decision was due to disagreements with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, especially over spending. According to her, this has already brought benefits.
“One of the consequences of my resignation is that we saved more than $6 billion,” she said, referring to the famous $250 checks that were ultimately canceled by the government.
If she considers that it was “the right thing to do” for the Canadian population, she admits that on a personal level, her decision was rather difficult.
“I know that I did something difficult, but necessary,” she said. It was the right thing to do.”
“Electoralist” spending denounced
The latter believes that Ottawa cannot afford expenses like the $250 checks at the moment due to the provocations of Donald Trump, who will enter the White House on Monday.
“I understand the threat that Trump poses to Canada, to Quebec,” she explained. I understood at that moment that we cannot afford electoral expenses. […] This is a very critical moment.”
The candidate for leadership of the PLC considers that all government financial decisions must be targeted at this threat, at least while the president-elect continues his threats of customs tariffs.
Freeland’s financial record, an obstacle for his race for leadership?
The country’s debt has increased from $680 billion to $1.2 trillion over the past nine years, which is a difficult record for Chrystia Freeland to defend. The latter, however, remains confident in her ability to succeed Justin Trudeau.
LCN screenshot
“I think my experience today is one […] necessary thing for Canada at a critical moment,” she said.
She reiterates that despite her political past alongside Mr. Trudeau, she remains a person in her own right. She even considers that she has no part of the responsibility for the position in which Canada finds itself since her resignation last December.
The former deputy prime minister also believes she is best placed to fight for the country against Donald Trump. “My experience is a great thing, because I’ve done this before and succeeded,” she said.
How to defend yourself against Trump?
The candidate outlined a three-step plan to defend herself against the future president of the United States.
Photo d’archives, AFP
“First, we must start with a strong position. I know President Trump, he does not respect weakness, he only respects power,” she said.
While Ms. Freeland did not want to say whether Justin Trudeau was weak in this regard, she nevertheless admitted that electoral spending “was not part of a strong defense plan.”
Second, the candidate explains that the country must prove that conflict is not necessary. We must “demonstrate that a win-win result is indeed possible,” she illustrated.
Third, Canada must start working with its allies, according to her. “We are not the only country that is threatened by the United States and the United States is not the only strong country in the world,” she said.
Watch the full interview in the video above.
