Freeland leaving cabinet for Ukraine envoy position: sources

Longtime Liberal Chrystia Freeland is stepping down from cabinet, sources tell CBC News.

Those sources, who spoke on the condition they not be named, said the Transport minister is taking up an envoy role related to Ukraine.

The Toronto MP could make the official announcement as early as Tuesday, they said.

The news was first reported by the Globe and Mail.

Freeland has held prominent front bench roles since the party swept into power in 2015, and was long seen as former prime minister Justin Trudeau’s lieutenant.

She sent shock waves through Ottawa when she abruptly resigned as finance minister in December, just hours before she was set to table the fall economic statement.

At the time, she called out her own government’s economic stewardship and costly political gimmicks.

Her exit escalated caucus pressure on Trudeau to resign, triggering a leadership race that she ran in, but that ultimately made Mark Carney leader. The Liberals would go from 20 points behind the Conservatives to a comeback win in April’s election.

Freeland has had a role guiding Canada’s diplomatic posture, as both international trade and foreign affairs minister. She helped lead Canada’s negotiating team during U.S. President Trump’s first term in office, landing what is now known as the CUSMA trade deal.

This article is republished from RCI.