OTTAWA, Ontario — Chrystia Freeland — who had been a candidate to become prime minister — is Canada’s new minister of transport.
Freeland is part of the 24-member cabinet of new Prime Minister Mark Carney sworn in today (March 14, 2025). Anita Anand, who had been transport minister, is now minister of innovation, science, and industry.
“Honoured to have been sworn in as Minister of Transport and Internal Trade in Mark Carney’s government,” Freeland said in a social media post. “I look forward to serving Canadians at this critical moment for our country.”
Carney received 86% of the vote to defeat Freeland in the March 9 election to become leader of the Liberal Party. Freeland had been finance minister and deputy prime minister under Justin Trudeau before resigning over her disagreement with financial moves by Trudeau. That resignation reported helped trigger Trudeau’s own decision, announced in January, to step down as Prime Minister.
The New York Times profiled Freeland prior to the party’s election. The Times noted President Donald Trump has frequently expressed his dislike for the former journalist, who led Canada’s contingent during renegotiations of the North American Free Trade Agreement during Trump’s first term. Trump said on social media that Freeland’s “behavior was totally toxic.”
Freeland becomes the fourth transport minister in less than 21 months. Omar Alghabra stepped down from the position in July 2023, saying he would not seek reelection. He was followed by Pablo Rodriguez, who resigned the cabinet position last September to pursue leadership of the Quebec Liberal Party, and Anand, named to the job shortly after Rodriguez’ resignation [see “Anand becomes Canada’s third transport minister …,” Trains News Wire, Sept. 27, 2024].
Freeland, too, could have a relatively short term in the job. Canada is required to have a new federal election no later than Oct. 20, but Carney had indicated during his campaign for the party leadership that he would call an early election. The CBC reports Carney is expected to call an election within the next 10 days, and that April 28 and May 5 are considered likely election dates. The CBC’s most recent poll shows the Conservative Party is most likely to win that election, although the margin has decreased from a 44.8%-21.9% margin over the Liberals on Jan. 20 to 39.8%-31.9% as of Wednesday, March 12.
