PMO leaks targeting Freeland appear similar to Morneau leaks, says former staffer
EDITOR'S NOTE: A previous version of this article did not clarify that an exclusive interview referenced in the piece with Bill Morneau's former deputy chief of staff, Sharan Kaur, was with the National Post. It has been updated to include that important detail.
The Trudeau Liberal dream team is in shambles with alleged tensions between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his second-in-command emerging.
Although Trudeau claims he has “full confidence” in Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, he confirmed ongoing efforts to recruit former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney.
The Prime Minister told reporters Thursday he considered Freeland “a close friend and ally,” and has “full confidence in her abilities.”
That counters a separate media report where the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) expressed concern with Freeland’s effectiveness. It mentioned internal discussions about replacing her with Carney as finance minister.
A reporter asked Trudeau for confirmation on the talks. “I think he would be an outstanding addition at a time when Canadians need good people to step up in politics,” he said.
While housing costs double, 2 million line up at food banks, jobs & businesses vanish, Trudeau has been trying and failing to fire his Finance Minister to hire Carbon Tax Carney.
— Pierre Poilievre (@PierrePoilievre) July 11, 2024
It’s not just humiliating for Freeland, it begs the question: If Trudeau doesn’t have confidence in… pic.twitter.com/WStqHoKWFQ
The PMO nor Freeland’s office commented on the rumours, reported The Epoch Times.
PMO spokesperson Ann-Clara Vaillancourt told The National Post those claims “are not accurate.”
The Toronto-St. Paul’s by-election defeat last month, in addition to abysmal polling, have intensified calls for Trudeau to resign.
Outgoing Liberal MP Wayne Long urged the Prime Minister to step down. Several Liberal MPs felt similarly but feared reprisal for putting their necks on the line.
MP Ken Macdonald, also outgoing, earlier called for a leadership review and voted twice to oppose the unpopular carbon tax. He later apologized and rallied behind Trudeau.
.@TheMenzoid drove a Jumbotron truck around #Toronto, asking if Trudeau should fire Finance Min. Bill Morneau
— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) August 15, 2020
In this clip, he talks to residents of @Bill_Morneau's riding...
WATCH the FULL video and SIGN the petition at https://t.co/MnucmWd7NR#cdnpoli #ONpoli pic.twitter.com/Tlzi3MTNKG
A National Post exclusive interview with political staffers drew parallels between the budding rumours and the resignation of former finance minister Bill Morneau in 2020.
Sharan Kaur, Morneau’s former deputy chief of staff, said the article appears to be of the same “playbook” that forced her boss to resign.
“This is exactly what happened before,” she said. “It’s just very unprofessional.”
An August 10, 2020 Globe and Mail publication cited insider sources, claiming Trudeau was uncertain if Morneau could remain as finance minister.
Morneau revealed at the time he repaid $41,000 in expenses for trips he and his family took at the expense of WE Charity. He was subject to an ethics investigation over a contract awarded to the charity.
“The leaks and planted stories had poisoned the atmosphere to the point where there were few, if any, alternatives available beyond submitting my resignation,” Morneau wrote in his 2023 book Where To From Here.
Trudeau's former finance minister Bill Morneau said the feds "probably" splurged too much during the COVID-19 pandemic. He admitted the consequence of printing hundreds of billions is a potential recession.https://t.co/uQhpYVSgLH
— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) January 9, 2023
Insiders also said the Prime Minister relied on Carney for policy advice on the post pandemic economy.
The PMO did not comment then on his advisory role and whether or not they sought Carney to replace Morneau.
“The real issue,” Kaur said, “is that the PM is polling at an all-time low, his popularity is low” and he isn’t making wholesale staffing changes at the PMO.
She notes Morneau, before tendering his resignation, told Trudeau the leaks were “unacceptable.” He demanded the Prime Minister “get his house in order.”
“He [Trudeau] replied that he was not aware of the leaks, and he had no idea where they had come from,” Morneau wrote incredulously in his book. “He had always been respectful toward me, so I was pretty sure this was not a malevolent attempt to exit his most senior minister, but a question of his control over the PMO.”
Former Finance Minister Bill Morneau is publicly criticizing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau again, citing that vaccine mandates should not have been a political wedge in the 2021 federal election.https://t.co/qg4excqR2b
— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) January 24, 2023
Shortly after that conversation, the renewed support for the finance minister. That didn’t stop the leaks.
Morneau scheduled a meeting with Trudeau on August 17. He later resigned as the situation was no longer “sustainable.”
His book said the meeting began at Rideau Cottage, where the Prime Minister resides, lasting 20 to 30 minutes. It was apparent from the get-go that Morneau could no longer remain in elected office.
“I began by explaining to the prime minister that the leaks from his office about me and my ministry had become intolerable,” wrote Morneau. He recalled they had intensified in “number and degree of malice.”

Alex Dhaliwal
Calgary Based Journalist
Alex Dhaliwal is a Political Science graduate from the University of Calgary. He has actively written on relevant Canadian issues with several prominent interviews under his belt.
