Soon after the sudden resignation of Chrystia Freeland, her cabinet colleague Dominic LeBlanc was sworn in as Canada’s new Finance Minister. LeBlanc, a long-time ally of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, served as Public Safety Minister in his cabinet. The move comes at a tumultuous time for the Canadian government, with the nation grappling with a Can$62 billion deficit — about Can$22 billion more than initially projected– due to “unexpected expenses.”
In his new role, LeBlanc, 57, will be tasked to manage the ongoing economic challenges, including navigating the looming threat of US tariffs. The US is Canada’s main trading partner, with 75 per cent of its exports each year going to its southern neighbour.
Seen as a trusted confidant of Justin Trudeau, Dominic LeBlanc accompanied the Canadian Prime Minister to Florida last month to meet with US President-elect Donald Trump, underscoring his prominent role in international negotiations.
Since the Liberal Party’s victory in 2015, he has held multiple key cabinet positions and recently contributed significantly to creating Canada’s billion-dollar border strategy as the government’s public safety head and senior cabinet minister.
