Abdul Matin Sarfraz
Local Journalism Initiative
Canada’s National Observer
Chrystia Freeland says if she becomes prime minister, she wants her rival, Mark Carney, to serve as finance minister — the role Freeland resigned from a few months ago.
“I intend to win on Sunday, and when I win, I will invite Mark to serve as finance minister in my government,” said Freeland, in response to Canada’s National Observer’s question. “I think we’ll make a great team,” she said at a campaign event Wednesday at a Canadian auto parts manufacturing company in Vaughan, Ontario.
Either way, Freeland plans to run again for her seat in Parliament in the next federal election.
Pitching herself as leader, Freeland highlighted her political background, arguing that her experience in key government roles makes her the best choice for prime minister as Canada faces economic threats from U.S. President Donald Trump.
She said that among the contenders she is most prepared to take on Trump’s trade war, arguing that a “battle-tested” prime minister with political experience is crucial.
“Right now, we need a prime minister who has a seat in the House of Commons, who can lead a government that has the political legitimacy to fight this tariff war,” Freeland said. “I am the leader who is uniquely qualified to fight for us right now.”
Carney, a former governor of the Bank of Canada and Bank of England, is not currently an elected MP, and if he wins the Liberal leadership race, he would be the first person to become prime minister without ever having held elected office.
Freeland said that among the contenders she is most prepared to take on Trump’s trade war, arguing that a “battle-tested” prime minister with political experience is crucial.
Freeland condemned the U.S. tariffs, calling them “illegal and unjustified.” She described them as a direct attack on Canada’s economy, arguing that their stated justification — an ever-shifting hodgepodge of issues like fentanyl and illegal immigration — are mere pretexts.
Canada must respond with a “dollar-for-dollar” retaliation strategy, she said, but insisted countermeasures must be surgically targeted to minimize harm to Canadians while exerting maximum pressure in the U.S., particularly on those who work closely with Trump and hold significant influence in his administration.
As part of this approach, she reiterated her call for a 100 per cent tariff on Tesla vehicles, arguing that such a move would target Trump’s key supporters, and send a clear and forceful message to Washington. She also underscored the need for international coordination, saying Canada should work with other countries to impose similar tariffs on Tesla.
In an executive order, U.S. President Donald Trump imposed 25 per cent across-the-board tariffs, with a lower 10 per cent levy on Canadian energy, which took effect on Tuesday, sparking widespread condemnation from the business community and triggering market volatility in both countries.
In response, Canada also imposed 25 per cent retaliatory tariffs on $30-billion worth of U.S. products, with plans to expand the measures to an additional $125 billion in American goods within 21 days.
In Ontario, where the province’s economy is heavily dependent on trade with the U.S. — with 85 per cent of its exports going to the American market, Premier Doug Ford also warned that sweeping U.S. tariffs could shut down car factories on both sides of the border within 10 days. Tens of thousands of jobs in Canada’s $65-billion automotive sector would be at risk and the country’s ambitious EV strategy would be undermined.
The province’s trade with the U.S. is significant, with the auto sector alone contributing $36 billion to Ontario’s $220.5 billion total trade with its southern neighbour.
Ontario is home to major auto manufacturers, including Ford, GM, Stellantis, Toyota, and Honda, which collectively produced 1.54 million vehicles last year — the majority of which were sold to U.S. consumers. On Wednesday, Trump announced a one-month exemption for vehicles entering under the Canada-U.S.-Mexico trade agreement after receiving requests from Stellantis, Ford, and General Motors.
While the government says it will not lift its retaliatory tariffs unless the U.S. removes all levies on Canadian goods, Freeland underscored her commitment to supporting Canadian industries affected by the tariffs, particularly the auto sector. She assured workers and businesses that her government would step in to mitigate the economic fallout, reinforcing that Canada would not allow Trump’s trade policies to undermine its manufacturing sector.
“Yes, we do have some hard times ahead, and there will be workers and businesses that are particularly affected,” Freeland said. “I want everyone — workers and business owners that’s going to be affected — to know that as prime minister, I will be there for them. I will support them.”
If elected, she pledged to urgently convene a meeting of premiers, business leaders, and union representatives to discuss Canada’s response to the U.S. tariffs, which she called “an act of economic warfare.” Freeland framed the tariff dispute as the greatest threat to Canada since the Second World War and said she would listen to provincial and business leaders to determine the best course of action.
Abdul Matin Sarfraz / Canada’s National Observer / Local Journalism Initiative
