Chrystia Freeland listens to a video conference speaker during a news conference in Ottawa, May 15, 2020. ADRIAN WYLD/THE CANADIAN PRESS

By Canadian Press

cabinet shuffle

Deputy PM Chrystia Freeland takes over as finance minister

Aug 18, 2020 | 3:29 PM

OTTAWA – With Chrystia Freeland now sworn in as federal finance minister, the Liberal government will prorogue Parliament and introduce a new throne speech before Parliament resumes in the fall.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he asked Gov. Gen. Julie Payette to prorogue Parliament until late next month. He says Parliament will return Sept. 23, which is two days after the House of Commons was initially scheduled to resume sitting.

The Liberal government will then deliver a speech from the throne. Trudeau says the pandemic has called for a reset of the government’s agenda, and says the throne speech will be a roadmap to rebuilding the economy post-COVID-19.

Proroguing will shut down the House of Commons committees investigating the WE Charity scandal and remove the legislation currently on Parliament’s order paper. Several Commons committees are probing the WE Charity contract, and the potential that progrogation could end or delay their work did not sit well with the opposition.

Freeland takes her new role at a time when Canada is dealing with the biggest budget deficit since the Second World War — a job that will involve planning for an economic recovery as the COVID-19 pandemic continues.

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She was officially sworn in at Rideau Hall Tuesday afternoon, becoming the first woman named to the portfolio.

She is replacing Bill Morneau who resigned suddenly Monday evening. Dominic Leblanc replaces Freeland as minister of intergovernmental affairs. In a sign of the times, Trudeau gave Freeland and LeBlanc a congratulatory elbow bump each as they were sworn in, rather than a hug.

Trudeau said Tuesday he does not want an election, but says it’s clear the country is facing many issues that did not exist when Canadians last went to the polls in the fall of 2019.

He says his party needs a mandate to move forward with its plan to respond to the COVID-19 crisis, since so much has changed since the December throne speech.

Freeland said the economic restart needs to be green, as well as equitable, inclusive and focused on jobs and growth. She said pandemic has created a once-in-a-lifetime challenge for the country, but the government is committed to do whatever it takes to support Canadians.

Parliament had been set to sit once more in August, in a special session, before resuming full sittings in late September. Due to the pandemic, Parliament has sat rarely this year, limited to special sittings to pass emergency legislation.

“From corruption to chaos to coverup,” tweeted Conservative finance critic Pierre Poilievre upon news of the prorogue move.

Speaking to reporters, Poilievre said the outgoing Morneau is just taking the fall for the government and that Trudeau is the one who should resign.

“Bill Morneau is a boy scout next to the Liberal lawbreaker we call Justin Trudeau,” he said.

Poilievre said he did not have hope that Freeland replacing Morneau would mark a change in policy or direction for the Liberals.

“Regardless, though, of how you play musical chairs, we still have the same corrupt and incompetent prime minister ahead of the same corrupt and chaotic government.”

Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet last week said he would bring a non-confidence vote himself if Trudeau, Morneau and Trudeau’s chief of staff Katie Telford do not all resign. He said Tuesday a throne speech could just make doing so easier, though he also left the door open to supporting it.

Speaking to his MPs at a caucus retreat in Bonaventure, Que., Blanchet said the party would vote against a throne speech if it does not contain greater health transfers to the provinces, substantially more help for Quebec seniors, and aid to agricultural producers in supply-managed sectors.

The Liberals did not prorogue Parliament during the entirety of their first term in office. The party’s platform in 2015 accused then Prime Minister Stephen Harper of using prorogation to ”avoid difficult political circumstances,” and pledged not to use the tool the same way.

(Ryan Tumilty, The Canadian Press)