Chrystia Freeland assures
that she "regrets nothing"
(Ottawa) "I'm my own person, with my plan, and very clear ideas about what we need to do," former finance minister and former deputy prime minister Chrystia Freeland said Friday on TVA. The woman who confirmed Friday that she would run for the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada (LPC) will officially launch her campaign on Sunday.
Fannie ArcandThe Press"I'm ready to defend Canada, and I know how to do it," Freeland said in her first interview since resigning Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
The former finance minister presented herself as the person best prepared to face the tariff war that Donald Trump threatens to launch.
"First, we have to start with a strong position," she told TVA, before stressing the importance of avoiding a conflict with the United States. "There is a win-win option, that's what we have right now," she added.
Freeland also said Canada needs to work with its allies, stressing that "the U.S. is not the only strong country in the world."
The Liberal leadership candidate distanced herself from Justin Trudeau and his economic record, denouncing the "election spending" of the resigning prime minister. However, she recalled that she was the one who renegotiated the North American Free Trade Agreement – now the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement – with the first Trump administration in 2017 and 2018.
"As far as this question is concerned, my experience is a great thing, because I've done this before and I've succeeded," she said.
Freeland was sparing in her comments about Mark Carney, her main opponent in the leadership race and her son's godfather, calling him simply an "excellent public servant."
Asked about her plan to end carbon pricing, the former minister assured that she is "not abandoning the climate action plan." However, she noted that most Canadian provinces are against this measure introduced by the Liberal government and much criticized by the leader of the Conservative Party, Pierre Poilievre.
Pierre Poilievre, Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada
"If you're really a democratic politician, you can't tell people, 'You're wrong.' We have to listen," she explained.
Defending CanadaEarlier Friday, the leadership candidate announced that she would launch her campaign on January 19, the day before Donald Trump's inauguration. In a letter published in Le Devoir and the Toronto Star, she warned the United States against imposing tariffs.
"If you hit us, we will strike back. We will not escalate the situation, but we will not give in," she wrote.
She proposes to "hit where it hurts" by answering "dollar for dollar, in a precise and meticulously targeted way".
"Let Florida's orange growers, Michigan's dishwasher manufacturers and Wisconsin's dairy farmers get ready," she warns. "If we are forced to do so, our response will be the hardest trade blow the U.S. economy has ever suffered."
She points out that Canada is the most important export market for the United States and that it surpasses that of "China, Japan, the United Kingdom and France combined."
This response could "generate up to $150 billion over one year", the equivalent of "161% of revenues" collected in 2022-2023 with corporate income tax, it suggests.
This money could be used to help Canadians who would suffer the consequences of a tariff war.
Only half of these revenues could provide nearly $2,700 in assistance to each Canadian earning less than $150,000 a year.
Chrystia Freeland, Liberal leadership candidate
"When it came to fighting for our great country, previous generations of Canadians never backed down," she says, noting that Canadians fought in both world wars, in many cases at the cost of their lives.
"For these generations, our sovereignty was no joke. It was the choice that defined their entire lives," she recalls.
The day after his resignation, Trump expressed his disdainfor Freeland, who at the time revealed her negotiating skills.
"His behaviour was totally toxic and not at all conducive to reaching agreements that were beneficial to the very disgruntled Canadian citizens. We will not miss her!! ", he wrote.
Chrystia Freeland thus becomes the second candidate to enter the race for the leadership of the Liberal Party after former Bank of Canada and Bank of England governor Mark Carney1. The two have family ties since he is the godfather of her son.
Freeland left cabinet in December, the day she was supposed to present her economic update, after learning that Prime Minister Trudeau wanted to replace her with Carney. His resignation has plunged the government into crisis as a tariff war with the United States looms.
Wilkinson gives upEnergy and Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson announced Friday morning that he will not be on the starting blocks for the Liberal leadership race. He did not indicate whether he would support a candidate.
Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources
"Stepping down from my ministerial position at this critical time would not, in my opinion, best serve Canadians and the country I love so much," he wrote on X.
However, he plans to run in the next federal election in the riding of North Vancouver, British Columbia, where he was first elected in 2015.
A third candidate will announce her candidacy over the weekend. Her name is Karina Gould, currently Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Member of Parliament for Burlington, Ontario. At 37 years old, she will be the youngest candidate. She intends to present herself as the person who can rebuild the political party.
Three other lesser-known candidates – Nova Scotia Mi'kmaq MP Jaime Battiste, Ontario MP Chandra Arya and former Montreal-area Liberal MP Frank Baylis – have indicated they intend to enter the race.
Fannie ArcandThe Press"I'm ready to defend Canada, and I know how to do it," Freeland said in her first interview since resigning Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
The former finance minister presented herself as the person best prepared to face the tariff war that Donald Trump threatens to launch.
"First, we have to start with a strong position," she told TVA, before stressing the importance of avoiding a conflict with the United States. "There is a win-win option, that's what we have right now," she added.
Freeland also said Canada needs to work with its allies, stressing that "the U.S. is not the only strong country in the world."
The Liberal leadership candidate distanced herself from Justin Trudeau and his economic record, denouncing the "election spending" of the resigning prime minister. However, she recalled that she was the one who renegotiated the North American Free Trade Agreement – now the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement – with the first Trump administration in 2017 and 2018.
"As far as this question is concerned, my experience is a great thing, because I've done this before and I've succeeded," she said.
Freeland was sparing in her comments about Mark Carney, her main opponent in the leadership race and her son's godfather, calling him simply an "excellent public servant."
Asked about her plan to end carbon pricing, the former minister assured that she is "not abandoning the climate action plan." However, she noted that most Canadian provinces are against this measure introduced by the Liberal government and much criticized by the leader of the Conservative Party, Pierre Poilievre.
Pierre Poilievre, Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada
"If you're really a democratic politician, you can't tell people, 'You're wrong.' We have to listen," she explained.
Defending CanadaEarlier Friday, the leadership candidate announced that she would launch her campaign on January 19, the day before Donald Trump's inauguration. In a letter published in Le Devoir and the Toronto Star, she warned the United States against imposing tariffs.
"If you hit us, we will strike back. We will not escalate the situation, but we will not give in," she wrote.
She proposes to "hit where it hurts" by answering "dollar for dollar, in a precise and meticulously targeted way".
"Let Florida's orange growers, Michigan's dishwasher manufacturers and Wisconsin's dairy farmers get ready," she warns. "If we are forced to do so, our response will be the hardest trade blow the U.S. economy has ever suffered."
She points out that Canada is the most important export market for the United States and that it surpasses that of "China, Japan, the United Kingdom and France combined."
This response could "generate up to $150 billion over one year", the equivalent of "161% of revenues" collected in 2022-2023 with corporate income tax, it suggests.
This money could be used to help Canadians who would suffer the consequences of a tariff war.
Only half of these revenues could provide nearly $2,700 in assistance to each Canadian earning less than $150,000 a year.
Chrystia Freeland, Liberal leadership candidate
"When it came to fighting for our great country, previous generations of Canadians never backed down," she says, noting that Canadians fought in both world wars, in many cases at the cost of their lives.
"For these generations, our sovereignty was no joke. It was the choice that defined their entire lives," she recalls.
The day after his resignation, Trump expressed his disdainfor Freeland, who at the time revealed her negotiating skills.
"His behaviour was totally toxic and not at all conducive to reaching agreements that were beneficial to the very disgruntled Canadian citizens. We will not miss her!! ", he wrote.
Chrystia Freeland thus becomes the second candidate to enter the race for the leadership of the Liberal Party after former Bank of Canada and Bank of England governor Mark Carney1. The two have family ties since he is the godfather of her son.
Freeland left cabinet in December, the day she was supposed to present her economic update, after learning that Prime Minister Trudeau wanted to replace her with Carney. His resignation has plunged the government into crisis as a tariff war with the United States looms.
Wilkinson gives upEnergy and Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson announced Friday morning that he will not be on the starting blocks for the Liberal leadership race. He did not indicate whether he would support a candidate.
Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources
"Stepping down from my ministerial position at this critical time would not, in my opinion, best serve Canadians and the country I love so much," he wrote on X.
However, he plans to run in the next federal election in the riding of North Vancouver, British Columbia, where he was first elected in 2015.
A third candidate will announce her candidacy over the weekend. Her name is Karina Gould, currently Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Member of Parliament for Burlington, Ontario. At 37 years old, she will be the youngest candidate. She intends to present herself as the person who can rebuild the political party.
Three other lesser-known candidates – Nova Scotia Mi'kmaq MP Jaime Battiste, Ontario MP Chandra Arya and former Montreal-area Liberal MP Frank Baylis – have indicated they intend to enter the race.