Freeland Appointed Minister of Transport, Internal Trade
Freeland, part of the 30th Canadian Ministry, succeeds Anita Anand, who in September added Transport Canada Minister, responsible for transportation policies and programs, to her role as President of the country’s Treasury Board, after Pablo Rodriquez stepped down after nearly a year-and-a-half on the job.
Freeland served previously as Canada’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance. She was first elected as the Member of Parliament for Toronto Center in 2013. She was elected as Member of Parliament for University–Rosedale in 2015 and re-elected in 2019 and 2021.
From 2015 to 2017, Freeland served as Minister of International Trade, overseeing the successful negotiation of free trade with the European Union. From January 2017 to November 2019, she was Minister of Foreign Affairs, leading the successful renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Freeland, in November 2019, was appointed Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, where she helped to lead Canada’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In August 2020, she was named Minister of Finance, becoming the first woman in Canadian history to hold that role.
Freeland, a journalist and author, was born in Peace River, Alberta, and educated at Harvard University before continuing her studies on a Rhodes Scholarship at the University of Oxford. In 2018, she was recognized as Foreign Policy’s Diplomat of the Year and earned the Eric M. Warburg Award by Atlantik-Brücke, for her achievements in strengthening transatlantic ties. In 2020, she was awarded Freedom House’s Mark Palmer Prize, in honor of her years of work championing democracy and human rights.
Freeland commented in a March 14 social media post: “Honoured to have been sworn in as Minister of Transport and Internal Trade in @MarkJCarney’s government. I look forward to serving Canadians at this critical moment for our country.”
The new Cabinet is as follows:
- Mark Carney, Prime Minister.
- Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of International Trade and Intergovernmental Affairs and President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada.
- Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development.
- François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Finance.
- Anita Anand, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry.
- Bill Blair, Minister of National Defense.
- Patty Hajdu, Minister of Indigenous Services.
- Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources.
- Ginette Petitpas Taylor, President of the Treasury Board.
- Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Canadian Culture and Identity, Parks Canada and Quebec Lieutenant.
- Chrystia Freeland, Minister of Transport and Internal Trade.
- Kamal Khera, Minister of Health.
- Gary Anandasangaree, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs.
- Rechie Valdez, Chief Government Whip.
- Steven MacKinnon, Minister of Jobs and Families.
- David J. McGuinty, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness.
- Terry Duguid, Minister of Environment and Climate Change.
- Nate Erskine-Smith, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities.
- Rachel Bendayan, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship.
- Élisabeth Brière, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Minister responsible for the Canada Revenue Agency.
- Joanne Thompson, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard
- Arielle Kayabaga, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister of Democratic Institutions
- Kody Blois, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Rural Economic Development.
- Ali Ehsassi, Minister of Government Transformation, Public Services and Procurement.
“This team is built for immediate action and focused on protecting Canadian workers, supporting their families, and growing this great country,” said Mark Carney, Canada’s 24th Prime Minister, in a March 14 statement. “We are changing how things work, so our government can deliver to Canadians faster—and we have an experienced team that is made to meet the moment we are in. Our government is united and strong, and we are getting right to work.”
