Liberal MP Says Caucus Has Full Confidence in Finance Minister Freeland

Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland waits for the start of a TV interview after tabling the federal budget on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on April 16, 2024. (The Canadian Press/Justin Tang)

Liberal MP James Maloney says his party’s caucus has “complete confidence” in Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland in her role, dismissing speculation about her future as “whispers in the shadows.”

“The focus we have is on the team. And I can tell you, I talk to my caucus colleagues every single day, and we have complete confidence in Chrystia Freeland as a finance minister,” the MP for Etobicoke-Lakeshore told reporters on July 29.

“So these are whispers in the shadows, and that’s what they are. Take them for what they’re worth.”

During the press conference, Ms. Freeland also said she is more concerned with delivering for Canadians than discussions around her potential removal from cabinet.

“I absolutely take the point of view of our caucus, of my caucus colleagues really, really seriously,” Ms. Freeland told reporters. “Our government is our caucus, and our government’s policies need to be based on conversations within caucus. For me, my focus is on working hard to deliver for Canadians every single day.”

The finance minister added that she feels she has the support within the caucus to “focus on what my job is, which is delivering for Canada and Canadians.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been facing questions about Ms. Freeland’s future in his cabinet following a July 11 Globe and Mail report which alleged that senior officials in the Prime Minister’s Office are concerned about her effectiveness in communicating the government’s economic message.

The Liberal government has been trailing the Conservative Party in the polls for over a year, and questions have been mounting in the media and among some current and former Liberal MPs about whether the prime minister should step aside.

When asked on July 11 about his intentions for Ms. Freeland, Mr. Trudeau said he has “full confidence in her abilities.” He also confirmed that he had been speaking with former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney “for years” about joining the Liberal team, but did not say in what capacity Mr. Carney would join.

On July 16, Ms. Freeland told reporters that she has the confidence she needs to stay in her cabinet roles after speaking with Mr. Trudeau several times over the last few days. She did not directly confirm whether she had received assurances from the prime minister that she would stay in her position.

“The prime minister is a very eloquent man and leader and it’s for the prime minister to speak for himself,” she said.