Catherine Tsalikis began contemplating a biography of Chrystia Freeland in August 2020, when Freeland, already deputy prime minister, took on the role of finance minister. At the time, Freeland was seen as a leading contender to succeed Justin Trudeau as Liberal Party leader, with many assuming her rise to the top was only a matter of time. What no one could have predicted, however, was how it would happen: her resignation from cabinet exactly a month ago setting off a political chain reaction, leading to Trudeau’s January 6 announcement that he would step down. As Freeland prepares to launch her expected leadership campaign, Tsalikis’s Chrystia: From Peace River to Parliament Hill has become a timely must-read on one of the Liberal Party’s strongest contenders in the upcoming battle against Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre. Tsalikis and I spoke earlier this week over Zoom. The transcript has been lightly edited for clarity.
What do you think would make Chrystia Freeland want to run for the Liberal leadership now, especially given the Liberals are polling so low?
