“That’s for the prime minister to speak for himself,” Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland told reporters on Tuesday when asked if Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had assured her he would remain finance minister.
Freeland also acknowledged that she had an “extended conversation” with Trudeau on Friday and spent time with him at events and meetings on Saturday and Monday.
“What I want to say to everyone here is that, from my own perspective, I have the confidence I need to be able to do my job effectively,” she said.
Last week, the Globe and Mail reported that senior officials, including Downing Street chief of staff Katie Telford, were concerned about Freeland’s ability to sell her economic policy message as the Liberal party struggles to reverse a long period of slump in popularity ratings.
Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said she had spoken with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, including a lengthy meeting on Friday, but declined to say whether she had received a commitment from him to stay on as Canada’s finance minister. Freeland’s question came amid reports of tensions with the Prime Minister’s Office.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau publicly defended Freeland after the report was released, telling reporters last week that he had “every confidence in her abilities and in the work that we will do together.”
Asked whether Trudeau had ever personally raised concerns about his job performance, Freeland said: “The prime minister’s view is that’s something you should ask him directly.”
Freeland also said it was “a great honour to serve Canada and Canadians as Minister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister.”
A senior government official told CBC News that Freeland does not have the support of voters that her office had hoped for, adding that such tensions are to be expected when a government faces headwinds.
Ms Freeland questioned Mark Carney about his future.
There are rumours that internal discussions are taking place within the government about appointing former Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney as finance minister.
“I’ve been in discussions with Mr. Carney for a number of years about getting him involved in federal politics,” Trudeau said last week.
“I think he’ll be a great addition at a time when Canadians need quality people going into politics,” he added.
Asked if she had encouraged Carney to run for the Liberal party, Freeland said she spoke to him “frequently” and had known him “for a very long time.”
“I’m really pleased that he’s running as a Liberal member and I’m grateful for all the support he’s providing our party, our government and our country,” she said.
A Liberal MP, who spoke on the condition that their name not be used, told CBC News they believe the overall mood in the chamber indicates a desire for change, including in how the government communicates about financial burden issues. They added that communication issues are not unique to Freeland.
He also told CBC he had not heard any calls from MPs to remove Freeland from her role as treasurer.