Chrystia Freeland will replace Morneau to become first female finance minister

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland is taking on a major new role: finance minister.

Sources say she will take over the massive finance portfolio following the resignation Monday night of Bill Morneau following reports of a rift between himself and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau over the best course forward on the economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.

Morneau had been under fire over his role in the WE Charity scandal.

As part of the mini-shuffle, veteran Liberal and President of the Queen’s Privy Council Dominic LeBlanc will take over Freeland’s previous portfolio as minister responsible for intergovernmental affairs.

LeBlanc had previously held the post as intergovernmental affairs minister before stepping back in early 2019 to seek treatment for non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

More to come.