Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s reported discussions with former central banker Mark Carney about a potential government role have ignited fierce debate in Parliament about Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland’s position, according to the Globe and Mail.
The newspaper reported Thursday that three sources confirmed renewed talks between Trudeau’s office and Carney, with two sources describing the discussions as serious and indicating that the finance minister position would be the only role Carney would consider. These discussions come just days before Freeland is set to present the fall economic update.
The revelation sparked heated exchanges in Question Period, with Conservative MPs accusing Trudeau of undermining Canada’s first female finance minister. Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner criticized the potential appointment of “an unelected, conflict-of-interest-riddled man” to the role.
The timing is particularly sensitive as Freeland recently indicated that government spending might exceed her self-imposed April benchmark of keeping the deficit under $40.1 billion. A BMO Economics report suggests these targets are now unreachable.
Freeland’s and Trudeau’s offices have also reportedly been feuding about the GST holiday, but Freeland has since denied these reports, saying earlier in the week that the two officials are “united.”
Read: Freeland’s and Trudeau’s Offices Clash Over GST Holiday Plan
Meanwhile Carney, who currently serves on the board of financial-services company Stripe and leads a Liberal Party economic growth task force, has maintained ambiguity about his political ambitions. During a parliamentary committee appearance Thursday, Stripe CEO Patrick Collison said that Carney had not disclosed any discussions about joining the government.
Both Trudeau and Freeland were absent from the House during the debates. Only Fisheries Minister Diane Lebouthillier explicitly defended Freeland, praising her work on child-care policies and benefits.
The Finance Minister’s parliamentary secretary, Rachel Bendayan, deflected criticism by highlighting recent positive economic indicators, including inflation being within target range and the Bank of Canada’s latest interest rate decision.
The final deficit numbers are expected in Monday’s fall economic statement.
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