Canadian Chamber welcomes Freeland as Finance Minister

(OTTAWA, ON) – August 18 2020 – The Canadian Chamber of Commerce’s President and CEO, Perrin Beatty, issued the following statement today regarding the appointment of Chrystia Freeland as the new Minister of Finance:

“The Canadian Chamber of Commerce congratulates Chrystia Freeland on her appointment as Canada’s Minister of Finance. The Prime Minister’s decision puts a strong hand on the tiller during an unprecedented economic storm.

We thank Minister Morneau for his service to Canada and we wish Minister Freeland well as she takes up her new responsibilities.

Minister Freeland has a proven track record for handling complex policy issues and is a creative thinker who is open to new ideas. Those qualities will be a vital asset in her new job.

This leadership transition comes as the country experiences the steepest decline in economic activity on record, and millions of Canadians and tens of thousands of businesses are relying on federal leadership to spur an economic recovery. Faced with a debt that now totals over $1.2 trillion and an economy that has sustained serious damage, it is clear that Canada cannot regulate and spend its way to prosperity.

The decisions made over coming weeks will set the country’s economic direction for the next several years. As we emerge into the post-COVID world, we must build on the spirit of partnership that developed during the pandemic to carefully but steadily reopen our economy and encourage the private sector investment and growth needed to protect Canadians’ standard of living.

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce looks forward to collaborating with Minister Freeland in addressing the economic challenges we will all face.”

About the Canadian Chamber of Commerce – Because Business Matters
The Canadian Chamber of Commerce helps build the businesses that support our families, our communities and our country. We do this by influencing government policy, by providing essential business services and by connecting businesses to information they can use, to opportunities for growth and to a network of local chambers, businesses, decision-makers and peers from across the country, in every sector of the economy and at all levels of government, as well as internationally. We are unapologetic in our support for business and the vital role it plays in building and sustaining our great nation.

For more information, please contact:
Phil Taylor
ptaylor@chamber.ca