This is about as stupid as it gets. The move had nothing to do with gender. It’s a struggling PM trying to bring fresh faces into his cabinet in a desperate attempt to revive his flailing fortunes. Freeland’s tenure as deputy PM and finance minister has been unremarkable, and at best have kept the status quo going that caters to the corporations and the rich. Only thing of note during her time was her stance on Ukraine. Perhaps she should’ve been foreign minister.