Canadian govt adrift after finance minister quits as US tariffs loom

OTTAWA - The abrupt resignation of Canada's Finance Minister leaves the government adrift less than a month before the inauguration of a new US administration that could impose crippling sanctions on Canadian exports.

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Ms Chrystia Freeland quit on Dec 16 after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau offered her a lesser position. She said his wish to increase spending could endanger Canada's ability to withstand the damage done by the tariffs that US President-elect Donald Trump is threatening to impose.

Ms Freeland headed a special Cabinet committee on Canada-US relations and was working closely with the 10 provinces to ensure a united response.

"As a country, we have to project strength and unity, and it's chaos right now up in Ottawa," Ontario Premier Doug Ford said after a scheduled online conference call of provincial premiers on Dec 17 to discuss the US threat.

An unimpressed Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, one of Mr Trudeau's biggest critics, said the provincial leaders only learnt halfway through their call that the point person on Canada-US relations had quit.