COLUMN: On Parliament Hill – Is Chrystia Freeland in or out?

Posted on X at 4:35 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 5, were the words of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. “Today, I appointed Chrystia Freeland as an Advisor on Economic Development. Chrystia is highly skilled in these matters and has extensive experience in attracting investment and implementing economic transformations.”

Very soon after the announcement, Conservative Michael Chong posted that one cannot be an advisor to a foreign government while serving as an MP. He explained how an elected official cannot serve on the government caucus and serve a foreign government as an economic advisor. Later that day, Freeland announced on X that she would “soon” be resigning her post as MP for University-Rosedale.

But let’s be clear, a referenced plan to resign is not a resignation. Conservative commentator Kate Harrison claims the government dragged their heals on this, knowing about the announcement before Christmas. She adds, the people of University-Rosedale should have had the benefit of an immediate byelection announcement. But as we might suspect, this announcement complicates the Carney government’s attempt at gaining a majority government without an election.

Over the last year it’s been a rough journey for Freeland to find her new place in the world. After affectionately being called “Minister of Everything” by the Canadian media due to her filling multiple senior rolls in the Liberal government, you’ll recall in December 2024, Freeland resigned her cabinet position only hours prior to the release of the long-awaited economic statement. She ran for leadership of the party following Mr. Trudeau’s resignation, losing to Mr. Carney in March of 2025. In September 2025, she was named special representative to the reconstruction of Ukraine by the Prime Minister, and then Warden & CEO of the Rhodes Trust to begin in July of 2026. President Zelenskyy’s announcement for Freeland to become the Economic Development Advisor to Ukraine on Monday, was a culmination from a series of restless course changes.

While I cannot probe President Zelenskyy’s vision for implementing “economic transformation” as he credits to Ms. Freeland, I suspect his view is different from that of a Canadian. I don’t suspect he is factoring in what economists are calling the Lost Decade—being the last ten years of Liberal rule. He may not realize that Canadian food inflation is at a historic high, costing families of four $17,657 in 2026. He also may not have been told that food banks are reporting record numbers, up 150 percent, with over 2.2 million visits last year alone— including 712,000 children.

After ten years of Liberal government, farming is becoming economically unviable, food security is at risk and Canadian farmers are losing their global edge.

As Canadians struggle to put food on the table, Canadians are also facing an ongoing job crisis. During the election, Canadians were promised the pace of homebuilding to be doubled as the most ambitious housing plan since the Second World War. Still in December, the Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) reported, ‘the government had not yet set out any plan to achieve this goal.’

The Parliamentary Budget Officer’s words unsustainable, shocking and stupefying are not great selling features for Canada’s current fiscal picture. The recent Freeland-supported budget passed by the Liberals, forecasting a $78 billion deficit and $90 billion –or $5,400 more in inflationary spending per household—could prompt red flags for the type of economic transformation being envisioned for Ukraine.

Ms. Freeland was part of the Liberal government, who according to the Government of Canada website, committed over $23.5 billion in economic, military, humanitarian, development, security, stabilization, and immigration assistance to support Ukraine and its people since 2022.

So, when Freeland claims her, new position is “unpaid”, it raises some legitimate questions.

Perhaps the adage of – that you get what you pay for – serves as a useful caution for Ukraine when it comes to getting free advice from their new advisor.