Following the scathing resignation letter of his finance minister, Chrystia Freeland, Andrew Mueller explains why Canada’s prime minister may be about to lose his job and what Trump has in store if he doesn’t. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
As has been widely noted across the democratic world, these are not happy times for incumbents.
In 2024, more voters have voted than in any other year in history, and they have largely voted out those who governed them.
Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has not faced re election this year, but he may nevertheless be relying on the Christmas break to spare him from joining 2024's ranks of suddenly unemployed leaders.
Earlier this week, Trudeau's Finance Minister, Chrystia Freeland, Canada's equivalent of the United Kingdom's Chancellor of the Exchequer or the United States Treasury Secretary, resigned.
To understand why this matters, it is necessary to keep in mind that political resignations are enacted for a wide variety of reasons.
Politicians resign in disgrace, pique, frustration, dudgeon, del, and occasionally even on principle.
But Freeland's resignation was none of these.
Freeland's resignation was the kind clearly intended to fit the skids under the head of government.
Then give him a push.
First of all, there was the matter of timing.
Freeland released the letter announcing her departure early on the day that she was supposed to deliver a significant economic statement.
This signaled a twin determination to avoid being the bearer of bad news herself and to generally vex and bedevil Trudeau.
Then there was the letter itself.
It may read at first glance like pretty standard stuff.
Honour to serve, we have accomplished much and so forth, but it is actually pretty devastating.
The kind of deft, subtle carve up that the victim may not fully absorb until they realise that their assailant's initials are slashed into their vest and their boots are full of blood.
To demonstrate, we shall play a brisk game of what she said versus what she meant, with Monocle's appropriately accented Amy Vandenberg playing Christia Freeland.
What Christia Freeland said on Friday, you.
Told me you no longer want me to serve as your Finance Minister and offered me another position in the Cabinet.
Upon reflection, I have concluded that the only honest and viable path is for me to resign from the Cabinet.