Canada Lurches to a New Order

Canadians have been looking forward to Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland delivering the Fall Economic Statement, a mini‑budget usually revealed in early autumn, to learn just how large the country’s deficit had grown. The government has been promising it would remain under CAD $40 Billion; but the delay in the FES being revealed was raising public skepticism that the promise had been kept. 

Canadians’ hopes were restored last week when Minister Freeland and Housing Minister Sean Fraser announced that the months-late release of the FES would happen on Monday, December 16^th. The glee at being able, finally, to get a glimpse at the public accounts obscured the reality that the books would be opened on the next-to-last day before Parliament recessed for its winter break. There would be little, if any, opportunity to question the government about its spending; and any firestorm or fury would fade by the time Parliament resumes on January 27, 2025.

In what the Prime Minister later referred to as “an eventful day,” Canadians were surprised to wake up to the news that Housing Minister Sean Fraser resigned his post; but they were shocked to learn that the Finance Minister had resigned her Cabinet position. Moments later Canadians learned that Minister Sean Fraser had also resigned his Cabinet post.

MP Freeland’s resignation letter revealed that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had, on Friday the 13^th, told Freeland that she would be removed from her role as Minister of Finance once she delivered the FES and would instead oversee US relations. The new post would come with no staff, no money, and no authority. The resignation letter offered several pointed hints about the state of the nation's political leader, and Freeland's view of his leadership.

Pierre Poilievre, leader of the Official Opposition Conservative Party of Canada, called for a federal election to be held. 

Yves‑Francois Blanchet, the leader of the Bloc Quebecois party called for Trudeau to resign.

Jagmeet Singh, leader of the NDP party —  who has, thanks to a “supply agreement” between the Trudeau Liberals and his party, held power over the government since the 2019 election — said Trudeau must resign. Singh refused to say whether he would call a vote of non‑confidence, and cagily said that “all options are on the table.”

Liberal MP Anthony Housefather called on caucus chair Brenda Shanahan asking her to convene a national Liberal caucus meeting within the next 24 hours. Other Liberal Members of Parliament called for Trudeau to resign.

By the end of the day, MP Dominic Leblanc, had been sworn in as Finance Minister; the Fall Economic Statement was delivered and revealed that the deficit had grown by 50 percent more than promised, to a staggering CAD $62 Billion; and the Prime Minister delivered a speech to the party faithful, while he stood at a dais emblazoned with the red Canadian maple leaf surrounded by gold wheat sheaves — a symbol used in Communist and Socialist emblems from Russia to Afghanistan to North Korea’s military.