Canada's Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland has resigned from her post, citing disagreements with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau over how to respond to President-elect Donald Trump's threat of trade tariffs.
According to foreign media, she announced her resignation in a letter to Trudeau on Monday, in which she said the two had been "at odds over the best path forward for Canada" and noted the "serious challenge" posed by Trump's policy of "aggressive economic nationalism".
Freeland said the decision comes after Trudeau informed her last week that he did not want her to be his government's top economic adviser.
Her resignation came hours before she was due to deliver an annual update on the government's fiscal policies to parliament.
In recent days, the two have also reportedly been at odds over a policy that would have delivered a C$250 ($175; £139) check to every eligible Canadian.
The BBC has contacted the prime minister's office and the finance department for comment.
In her publicly released resignation letter, Freeland said Canada needs to keep its "fiscal powder dry" to deal with the threat of sweeping tariffs from US President-elect Donald Trump.
She added that this means "avoiding costly political shenanigans" that Canada cannot afford.
Trump has promised to impose a 25% tax on imported Canadian goods, which economists have warned will significantly damage Canada's economy, writes A2 CNN.
Referring to the tariffs, Freeland called them a "threat" that should be taken "extremely seriously."
She added that this means "pushing back against 'America First' economic nationalism and working with unity in response to these tariff threats.
Freeland and Trudeau were reportedly at odds over a series of policies recently proposed by the prime minister designed to address the country's cost-of-living crisis.
Among them is a C$250 check that the government wanted to send to every Canadian earning less than $150,000 a year.
These decisions were expected to cost the federal government a total of $4.68 billion, writes A2 CNN. (A2 Televizion)
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