The Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau has named his deputy, Chrystia Freeland, as Canada’s new Finance Minister and has revealed the parliament would be suspended until September 23, 2020 as he tries to turn the page on conflict-of-interest accusations that have affected his support this summer.
Mr. Trudeau said the suspension of the parliament would afford his government the opportunity to return next month with a fresh plan for tackling the coronavirus pandemic and economic recovery. It has been widely speculated that the new plan that hinted would include heavy spending measures and would be subject to an instant vote which will give the opposition parties a chance to defeat the Liberal government and facilitate an election.
While talking during a press conference, Trudeau said: “We need to reset the approach of this government for a recovery.”
He said the reset would involve “big, important decisions, and we need to present that to parliament and gain the confidence of parliament to move forward on this ambitious plan.”
Freeland’s appointment came after the outgoing Finance Minister, Bill Morneau, tendered his resignation recently. Ms. Freeland is a financial journalist and a close friend of Trudeau. She was the lead representative of Canada during the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement and became the Deputy Prime Minister after the Liberal government was re-elected last year.
Many political analysts have reacted to her appointment and have said Ms. Freeland’s record as an efficient Minister and effective communicator, alongside her seniority in the Trudeau government made her a right choice for the position.
While talking about Freeland’s appointment, Daniel Beland, a political-science Professor at McGill University said: “I think the appointment of Chrystia Freeland shows once again how she has been this kind of super minister within the Trudeau cabinet. When there is a problem, basically, Trudeau calls Chrystia Freeland.”
