Chrystia Freeland details political ties and trade wars in new book

In her new book, “Unreliable Boyfriend: An Insider’s View of Dealing with a Chaotic Superpower, Plutocrats, and Other Complicated People,” former Canadian Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland discusses her political career and her relationship with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Freeland describes their professional collaboration on key issues such as trade, pandemic management, and national childcare. However, she also details a deteriorating relationship with Trudeau, noting his tendency toward unpopularity and his treatment of cabinet members. She characterizes the end of their political partnership as bitter.

The book’s title refers to the United States under President Donald Trump. Freeland reflects on her role as a lead negotiator during trade tensions and the potential withdrawal of the U.S. from NAFTA. She notes that the Canadian government prepared for such a possibility as early as 2016, eventually helping to negotiate a replacement deal in 2018.