Once upon a time, Chrystia Freeland attempted to relate to CanadiansB次元官网网址� cost-of-living concerns with a personal anecdote B次元官网网址� and it didnB次元官网网址檛 produce a fairy-tale ending.

B次元官网网址淚 personally, as a mother and wife, look carefully at my credit card bill once a month, and last Sunday I said to the kids, B次元官网网址榊ouB次元官网网址檙e older now. You donB次元官网网址檛 watch Disney anymore. LetB次元官网网址檚 cut that Disney Plus subscription,B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址� Freeland told Global B次元官网网址 in an interview that aired on Nov. 6.

She went on to say: B次元官网网址淚 believe that I need to take exactly the same approach with the federal governmentB次元官网网址檚 finances, because thatB次元官网网址檚 the money of Canadians.B次元官网网址�

Maybe Freeland meant to show that managing a $430-billion budget is not all that different from handling a household one.

But as word of the clip spread throughout the land, and was viewed nearly a million times in just a couple of days, so did outrage.

Emails sent to her office and obtained by The Canadian Press under access-to-information law show that FreelandB次元官网网址檚 attempt to connect with Canadians made her a villain to thousands.

B次元官网网址淭his advice is about as wise as boomers telling younger folks if only they skipped the avocado toast then they could afford a house,B次元官网网址� said one person. The names of the senders are redacted in the documents.

Some commenters felt the ministerB次元官网网址檚 attempt to blend in missed the mark, like when Princess Jasmine visited the market in B次元官网网址淎laddinB次元官网网址� and encountered a less-royal way of life.

Messages accused Freeland of being B次元官网网址渟mug,B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址渆litist,B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址渃luelessB次元官网网址� and B次元官网网址渆ntitled.B次元官网网址�

One person accused her of underestimating the platformB次元官网网址檚 offerings. B次元官网网址淭here is more than just Disney movies on Disney Plus, so you are actually depriving your children of the things their friends might watch.B次元官网网址�

The person added that Freeland was doing so B次元官网网址渨hen we all know you can easily afford that.B次元官网网址�

Federal cabinet ministers will earn just over $289,000 this year. The median household income in Ontario in 2020 was $79,500, according to Statistics Canada.

Someone wrote to say theyB次元官网网址檇 already cut Disney Plus and wanted to know how to B次元官网网址渃ancel my portion of the CBC subsidy.B次元官网网址� CBCB次元官网网址檚 $1.2 billion in government funding in 2022 works out to about $30 per Canadian per year.

Others were less sarcastic, noting that B次元官网网址減overty is not a choice.B次元官网网址�

One email urged the government to better manage inflation.

B次元官网网址淚f you are out of ideas on how I do this, might I humbly suggest your office consider a more aggressive approach to regulating the skyrocketing profits in the grocery industry?B次元官网网址�

Another writer, who described herself as a single mother on disability, said that she sometimes goes without food to ensure that her 10-year-old son doesnB次元官网网址檛.

B次元官网网址淭hat was an absolute slap in the face to people who are truly struggling,B次元官网网址� she wrote.

B次元官网网址淟ike I tell my son: You need to think before you speak.B次元官网网址�

One would-be knight in shining armour did come to FreelandB次元官网网址檚 defence, emailing to say they, too, had cut out TV channels B次元官网网址� along with beauty treatments, travel and cellphones, among other things.

They argued: B次元官网网址淚nflation means lifestyles must be changed!B次元官网网址�

Staff in the Finance Department did a social media scan on Nov. 7, the day after FreelandB次元官网网址檚 series of interviews about the fall economic statement.

Over two days, there were 13,000 mentions of Freeland and Disney Plus, and B次元官网网址渃overage was predominantly negative,B次元官网网址� an official in charge of media monitoring wrote in an email.

A word cloud graphic attached to the email showed the phrases B次元官网网址渢one-deafB次元官网网址� and B次元官网网址渉igh inflationB次元官网网址� featured prominently.

Freeland walked back her remark the next day, telling reporters that B次元官网网址淟ike other elected federal leaders, I am paid a really significant salary, and I know that that puts me in a really, really privileged position.B次元官网网址�

Her office did not respond to questions this week about the feedback she received, instead pointing to her comments in the Nov. 7 press conference.

B次元官网网址擲arah Ritchie, The Canadian Press

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