By Merve Aydogan
HAMILTON, Canada (AA) - Canada’s Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc was appointed Monday as the new finance minister, replacing Chrystia Freeland, who announced her resignation earlier in the day.
Known as a longtime ally of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, LeBlanc spoke to reporters following his swearing-in ceremony in Ottawa and said the cost of living and managing public finances will be the top priorities.
"Canadian families and Canadians across the country are feeling the pressure of the cost-of-living increases. They want the government to remain focused on those issues, and that will be a huge focus for me as the minister of finance," he said.
LeBlanc further pledged to address the "potential threat of tariffs across the line on Canadian exports to the United States."
Earlier, Freeland announced her resignation from the Cabinet, describing it as the "only honest and viable path."
"It has been the honor of my life to serve in government, working for Canada and Canadians. We have accomplished a lot together. On Friday, you told me you no longer want me to serve as your finance minister and offered me another position in the Cabinet," Freeland said in a letter addressed to Prime Minister Trudeau.
She shared the letter on her X account, saying: "Upon reflection, I have concluded that the only honest and viable path is for me to resign from the Cabinet."
Freeland's resignation comes amid political tensions over the government’s fiscal policy and Canada's response to US economic pressures.