Freeland says she'd invite Carney to be finance minister if she wins Liberal leadership

Liberal enactment hopeful Chrystia Freeland says she wants her rival — erstwhile Bank of Canada politician Mark Carney — to articulation her cabinet if she wins the contention connected Sunday and becomes premier minister.

"When I win, I volition invitation Mark to service arsenic concern minister," Freeland told reporters aft a run lawsuit successful Vaughan, Ont. "I deliberation we'll marque a large team."

The erstwhile concern curate said Canada needs a premier curate "who has a spot successful the House of Commons" and "has acquisition arsenic a governmental decision-maker successful a crisis," referring to U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to enforce monolithic tariffs connected Canada.

Should Carney triumph the Liberal enactment race, helium would go the archetypal idiosyncratic to go premier curate who's ne'er held elected office.

WATCH | Freeland says she'd inquire Carney to beryllium concern minister: 

Freeland touted her past enactment successful Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's furniture to marque the lawsuit she's champion equipped to instrumentality connected Trump. In the past, she managed the planetary trade, overseas affairs and intergovernmental affairs portfolios.

"So I deliberation the perfect operation is to person maine arsenic a battle-tested, proven governmental person with a elder minister," Freeland said.

Freeland besides promised to convene premiers and concern and national leaders arsenic her archetypal enactment if she becomes premier minister. She suggested she would fto them determine whether she calls a national election.

"If I perceive from the premiers, from concern leaders and from national leaders: 'We privation you to govern. We request a agreed Canada close present that tin basal up to that tariff threat.' Then that is the attack I volition take," she said.

If Freeland becomes Liberal person and premier minister, she would inactive person to look Parliament aboriginal this month. Opposition parties person pledged to bring down the authorities done a ballot of non-confidence.

Trump's 'economic warfare'

Freeland besides blasted Trump's tariffs connected Wednesday and described them arsenic "illegal and unjustified" — echoing Trudeau's language from Tuesday erstwhile helium staunchly criticized Trump's determination and announced Canada's countermeasures.

"We request to be…. Absolutely wide this is economical warfare. We request to beryllium perfectly wide that our sovereignty is not up for negotiation," Freeland said.

The erstwhile concern curate besides said Canada needs to talk straight to Americans and archer them "how dumb this tariff warfare is, however self-mutilating it is for Americans." 

Carney told reporters astatine a run lawsuit successful Calgary connected Tuesday that Canada is "in a commercialized war, clearly. We didn't inquire for this war, it was started by the Americans."

WATCH | Carney says Canada's system is stronger than the U.S. economy:

Canada's effect starts with the countermeasures Trudeau announced Tuesday, Carney said. The national authorities has levied counter-tariffs connected $30 cardinal worth of U.S. goods, with perchance much to beryllium added.

Trudeau besides said that Trump's commercialized warfare is designed to illness the Canadian system and marque it easier to annex Canada. When asked for his position connected Trump's actions, Carney said if those are the president's intentions, "he volition not succeed."

"What I americium uncovering connected the crushed crossed Canada is Canadians are determined, they're united, they person resolve, they privation affirmative change, they privation to determination forward. And that's what we're offering to them."