Chrystia Freeland resigns from Parliament to advise Ukraine on economic development

Chrystia Freeland resigned from the House of Commons on Friday to take an unpaid, part-time role as an adviser to Ukraine on economic development, ending her long career in Canadian politics.

Once described by Justin Trudeau as his "minister of everything," Ms. Freeland served as deputy prime minister for the final five years of Mr. Trudeau’s time in office and was finance minister when she submitted a resignation letter a year ago that contained a strong rebuke of his policies. She first entered politics in 2013, rose to prominence as trade minister and led Canada’s renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement during President Trump’s first term.

Ms. Freeland had agreed to volunteer for Ukraine in late December and initially said this week she would step down from Parliament in a few weeks. Several Conservative politicians and others questioned whether holding a seat while advising a foreign government—even an ally—would be a conflict of interest, and on Friday her resignation letter was filed with the speaker of the House of Commons.

She has also announced she will become chief executive of the Rhodes Trust at the University of Oxford in July and was earlier named by Prime Minister Mark Carney as Canada’s special representative for the reconstruction of Ukraine; her move to an unpaid advisory role in Kyiv is the latest step in her transition out of elected office.

Key Topics

World, Chrystia Freeland, Ukraine, Canada, Rhodes Trust, Justin Trudeau