Then-minister of transport and internal trade Chrystia Freeland leaves the West Block of Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Sept. 16, 2025.Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press
Chrystia Freeland became the “minister of everything” in Justin Trudeau’s government because of her ostensible good judgment. This never made much sense to observers of her actual performance, which routinely showcased her poor political instincts against a backdrop of poor policy decisions.
Maybe the Chrystia Freeland that emerged at the end of Mr. Trudeau’s tenure – the one that decried “political gimmicks” and urged fiscal restraint – was there all along, hiding behind an obligatory façade of unyielding partisanship. Or perhaps, and what seems more likely, Ms. Freeland’s instincts actually aren’t that great.
That would help explain why she would take an advisory role with a foreign government while still continuing to serve as a Canadian member of Parliament.
On Monday morning, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that he had appointed Ms. Freeland as an economic development adviser, citing her “extensive experience in attracting investment and implementing economic transformations.”
Chrystia Freeland facing calls to resign as MP after being appointed Zelensky’s advisor
In making that assessment, Mr. Zelensky might have chosen to overlook Canada’s average foreign direct investment figures over the past decade (which have been boosted by hefty, often ineffective government subsidies), or else by “attracting investment,” he really meant “arranging foreign aid.” Canada did announce an additional $2.5-billion in aid to Ukraine just one week before Ms. Freeland’s new gig was revealed, so it would not be unreasonable for Canadians to assume the two were in some way connected.
Ms. Freeland should have resigned her seat in the Canadian Parliament the instant her advisory role for the Ukrainian government was announced, even if it is unpaid. Instead, Ms. Freeland said in a post on X late Monday afternoon that she will resign “in the coming weeks.”
It seems insultingly obvious to even point out that our legislators should not be working in the interest of a foreign government at the same time – that the residents of University-Rosedale in Toronto, who elected Ms. Freeland as their MP less than a year ago, are owed representation in Parliament focused exclusively on their concerns and those of Canada. Yet here we are.
It doesn’t matter whether Ms. Freeland believes she can juggle both roles for a few weeks: the mere perception of a conflict is the problem. Canadians don’t pay Ms. Freeland a salary to advise a foreign government. And at a time when public support in Canada for Ukraine is waning (as would be expected after four years of war), Ms. Freeland’s double-dipping will only exacerbate mistrust and resentment over Canadian funds going to Ukraine.
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Back in September, Ms. Freeland signalled she already had one foot out the door when she stepped down from cabinet and announced that she would not run in the next election, and that she would serve as Canada’s special representative for the reconstruction of Ukraine. Then, in November, Ms. Freeland was announced as the next chief executive officer of the Rhodes Trust, which awards scholarships for students to study at the University of Oxford, with plans for her to move to Britain this summer. And yet she still hung onto her seat, despite indicating to her constituents that her interest in their affairs was time-limited. And now she hangs onto her seat again, despite indicating to her constituents that she’s also working for the people of a foreign government.
The only conceivable reason why Ms. Freeland wouldn’t vacate her seat immediately is that she is being a good foot soldier: hanging around so that the Liberals, who are now one seat shy of a majority, have an easier time trying to entice someone to cross the aisle. After all, it’s more attractive to a would-be floor-crosser to be the hero that delivers Prime Minister Mark Carney his majority (even if he’ll have to re-earn it again when Ms. Freeland gives up her seat, though he should do easily in University-Rosedale) than to be the person who merely gets them one step closer.
But in doing so, Ms. Freeland hurts her own reputation, while yet again demonstrating her poor judgment – not to mention inviting resentment and even conspiracy about Canada’s ties to Ukraine. It is astonishing that neither Ms. Freeland, nor anyone around her, nor anyone in government, would have foreseen how bad this would look to the average Canadian.
Perhaps Ms. Freeland will succumb to political pressure and give up her seat soon. Not even the “minister of everything” can serve as both a representative for Canadian interests, and a representative for those of Ukraine. Indeed, the latter role seems best suited for someone of Ms. Freeland’s character and capabilities, and anyone wants to see Ukraine triumph over Russia in its war of aggression should wish her well. But first, Canadians should demand she become the MP for nothing on Parliament Hill – not in the coming weeks, but immediately.