CANADA, OTTAWA: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tapped Chrystia Freeland to be Canada’s first female finance minister on Tuesday as an ethics scandal that clipped her predecessor’s wings reverberates through the government.
Freeland received a standing ovation after being sworn in at a small ceremony in Ottawa.
Guests socially distanced, wore face masks and Freeland greeted Trudeau with an elbow bump after taking the oath of office, telling reporters that it was “about time that we broke that glass ceiling.”
The prime minister later announced the suspension of parliament until September 23, when his minority government will lay out a new direction and test its support as confronts the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
Freeland, 52, has held key posts in the Liberal government including deputy prime minister – a role she keeps – and foreign minister, as well as leading free trade talks with the US and Mexico.
The former journalist, first elected in 2015, takes on the top finance job as Canada goes through its worst economic crisis since the Second World War.❐
