Chrystia Freeland to run for Liberal Party leader

Canada’s former Minister of Finance announces campaign

On January 6, 2025, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his resignation as Liberal Party leader. Shortly following the announcement, Member of Parliament and former minister of finance, Chrystia Freeland, declared her intent to run for the Liberal Party leader and subsequently, Prime Minister of Canada.

Olivia Haill – Argosy Illustrator
 

Freeland resigned from her position as Minister of Finance on December 16. In her official letter of resignation, Freeland revealed that Trudeau no longer wanted her to serve as the Minister of Finance and referenced their incongruent opinions regarding the future of Canada in the face of the incoming U.S. administration. Freeland has her supporters, but like any politician, she has her fair share of opposition as well. She is endorsed by Arif Virani, the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, as well as Mark Holland, the Minister of Health, along with countless other MPs. Her major opposition stands to be Conservative Leader, Pierre Poilievre, who has mocked Freeland several times on social media. Poilievre capitalized on the reversal of her support for the controversial capital gains tax hike, saying, “Her slogan should be: ‘I’m Chrystia and I was wrong about everything.”’

The tax hike was introduced in the federal budget last year. Freeland stated at a press conference last July,  “Many of the wealthiest Canadians make most of their money through investments, not income. But because of how investment gains are taxed, well-off Canadians can wind up paying a lower marginal tax rate than a nurse or a plumber. That’s not fairness, that’s favouritism.” Loss of business and investment in Canada was not perceived as a significant risk at the time. However, the behavior of President Donald Trump has brought this risk of potential disincentivization back into question, regarding the future of the relationship between Canada and the U.S.

Freeland has since launched her campaign and shared to her social media on January 23, a promise to “push back against centralization and return power to where it belongs – with the grassroots.” Freeland also referenced a plan to renew the Liberal Party, which can be found on her campaign website www.chrystiafreeland.ca

Freeland’s updates to the Liberal Party framework involve six proposals, each rooted in the decentralization of power in the party. The first two are titled “Strengthen accountability with permanent biennial conventions,” and “Make the Leader accountable to Caucus and the membership.” Freeland proposes the institution of a new leadership review process that will work at decentralizing power from the leader, consequently upholding a higher level of democracy. Freeland invites the Liberal Caucus and membership to “develop and institute” the process, such as those that other parties have already adopted. For example, the NDP holds a vote at every biennial convention as to whether or not they shall continue under the same leadership or if they wish for a change, an option Freeland suggested as an example on her website. Conventions are where members convene to discuss party matters such as framework and policy. Freeland adds to the table, “open-mic town halls” and “accountability sessions with the Leader and Cabinet.” The third proposition is titled “Initiate a Party-wide review of the membership and structure,” which proposes to ensure the grassroots such as the riding associations, commission, and the Young Liberals wing have a real voice in the party. 

Following the same notion of decentralization of power and voice to the grassroots, the fourth is titled “Restore empowered provincial and territorial executives” and the fifth is titled “Restore a full-time paid national director of the Young Liberals of Canada.” The final proposition is titled “Establish a new Policy Commission” which aims to ensure that the processes are transparent and democratic in nature, and where “grassroots members have a voice in providing recommendations directly to the Leader and Caucus.” 

An elect will emerge as the new Liberal Party leader early this March, and the next federal election could be called as soon as late March when the suspension of Parliament concludes.



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