Chrystia Freeland

Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Finance

Former journalist and author, Deputy PM and first woman Minister of Finance

First elected to the House of Commons in a 2013 Toronto Centre by-election, Chrystia Freeland ran and won in the riding of University—Rosedale in 2015, and again in the 2019 federal election.

Prior to the 2015 election, she served as co-chair of the Liberal Party’s economic advisory council. A Harvard graduate and Rhodes Scholar, she forged a career as a journalist with the Financial Times, the Washington Post, the Economist, the Globe and Mail, and Thomson Reuters. Her authored books include "Sale of a Century: The Inside Story of the Second Russian Revolution," and "Plutocrats: The Rise of the New Global Super-Rich and the Fall of Everyone Else."

As Minister of Foreign Affairs, Freeland played a pivotal role in the renegotiation of the NAFTA agreement. On November 20, 2019, Freeland was appointed Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs. On August 18, 2020 Freeland was sworn in as the first female federal Minister of Finance following the resignation of Bill Morneau.

Off the Hill

Freeland speaks five languages: English, French, Ukrainian, Russian and Italian. She participated in a student exchange in Ukraine during the Communist era, acting as a fixer and translator for a New York Times reporter. Her grandparents fled Ukraine during the Second World War but imprinted a strong sense of Ukrainian identity on her.

Freeland and her husband, journalist Graham Bowley, both grew up on farms.

Current Roles and Responsibilities

• Deputy Prime Minister (appointed Nov. 20, 2019)
• Minister of Finance (appointed Aug. 18, 2020)

Current Cabinet Committee Membership

• Chair, Cabinet Committee on Economy and the Environment
• Chair, Cabinet committee on COVID-19
• Vice-Chair, Cabinet Committee on Agenda, Results and Communications
• Member, Cabinet Committee on Operations

Committee Roles During the 41st Parliament

Previous Parliamentary Roles

• Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs (43rd Parliament)
• Minister of Foreign Affairs (42nd Parliament)
• Minister of International Trade (42nd Parliament)

Federal Electoral History

Education

• Oxford University - Master of Arts (Slavic Studies)
• Harvard University - Bachelor of Arts (History and Literature)

Private Career

• 2010-2013: Journalist and Editor, Thomson Reuters
• 2001-2010: Managing Editor, The Financial Times
• 1999-2001: Deputy Editor, The Globe and Mail
• Reporter

Family

• Summary
• Reports