Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland says it’s the Ontario government’s responsibility to help backstop Toronto’s pandemic-ravaged finances, offering no new federal dollars in a letterresponding to Mayor Olivia Chow’s request for help. The two-page letter from Freeland to Chow says the province has the constitutional responsibility and fiscal capacity to support the city. Freeland, who…

While speaking at a security forum in the United States, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland expressed concerns about media being overly funded by the government and said that tech companies should foot the bill instead. “I think there’s a real challenge with news organizations deriving a great deal of their revenue from the public sector,…

Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland says that Canada has hit a “milestone moment” as the nation’s inflation rate dropped below 3 percent in June, according to a recent Statistics Canada report, which is its lowest point in about two years. “That is a significant moment. It should provide a lot of relief to Canadians,” Ms. Freeland…

Nearly a month after Canada announced it would pause all activity at the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) while launching an investigation, Canada still remains invested in the Beijing-founded institution. On June 14, Ottawa announced it would cease all activity at the AIIB while it investigated allegations made by its former global communications director, Bob…

Over 11 million low and middle-income Canadians will begin receiving a one-time grocery rebate beginning July 4, with Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland saying the measure will allow ” some important breathing space” for families struggling with the cost-of-living crisis. “This grocery rebate will make a real difference to Canadians who really need help right…

Officials from the Department of Finance declined to answer questions from MPs this week while appearing before a House of Commons committee studying the federal government’s recent suspension of activity with the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). James Wu, director general of the finance department’s funds management division, and Kathleen Wrye, director of the department’s financial…

The former director general of global communications for the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) said Canada’s membership in the AIIB is inconsistent with its values and does not benefit the country. “I didn’t find a single tangible benefit to communicate back home here to Canada of what this bank does that is consistent with our…

Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO) Yves Giroux was “wrong” in estimating that the federal government’s recent deal with Volkswagen to incentivize the German automaking giant to build an electric vehicle battery manufacturing plant in Ontario will cost taxpayers over $16 billion, says Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland. Freeland spoke to reporters in Ottawa on June 14 just…

A day after leading a four-hour filibuster to delay a vote on the Liberal government’s 2023 budget bill, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre called for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to cancel his summer vacation in order to work on rewriting the legislation. “I’m calling on [Trudeau] to do the honourable thing. To put aside his pride and…

Amid another rate hike by the Bank of Canada, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland attempted to alleviate Canadians’ financial concerns by highlighting the country’s economic recovery since COVID-19 began. “I absolutely understand the concerns Canadians have with mortgages today, and I understand the concerns Canadians have with inflation,” Freeland told reporters in Ottawa on June 7. “What…