By William Crooks
Local Journalism Initiative
Chrystia Freeland is making her case to become the next leader of the Liberal Party and, ultimately, the next Prime Minister of Canada. In a wide-ranging Feb. 18 interview, she emphasized her experience, her vision for the country, and what she sees as an urgent need for leadership in the face of external and internal challenges. Freeland will be in Waterville on Feb. 19 alongside Liberal MP Marie-Claude Bibeau as she continues to make her case to party members.
Freeland, who has represented the Toronto riding of University–Rosedale since 2013, served in key roles under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, including foreign affairs minister, deputy prime minister, and finance minister. She played a central role in negotiating the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) and led Canada’s response to U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum. Now, she is campaigning to replace Trudeau, arguing that her leadership is crucial at this moment in history.
“This is an existential moment for our country,” she said when asked why she was the right person to lead the Liberals. “We are facing a true threat from Donald Trump—an economic threat, a threat even to our sovereignty. And I know that I am uniquely the person to meet that challenge.”
Freeland pointed to her record, particularly her role in navigating Canada through tense negotiations with the Trump administration in 2018, as proof that she is up to the task. “Canadians saw me face Trump the last time he threatened to tear up our trade deal. There was a lot of kicking and screaming, but at the end of the day, I got an even better deal than we had before.”
She also cited her leadership on domestic policy, such as the Canada Child Benefit and the rollout of $10-a-day childcare, which was inspired by Quebec’s model. “We created the Canada Child Benefit, transformative for Canadian families. As finance minister, I followed Quebec’s example and created a system of $10-a-day daycare across the country. These are all great things, and it is really important for Canadians—and especially Liberals—to be proud of them.”
