Chrystia Freeland accused of being "out of touch" when asked about rising fuel prices
Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland admitted she doesn’t own a car while being questioned about rising fuel prices and affordability in Atlantic Canada last week, a comment that the federal opposition has called “out of touch.”
During a press question period in Charlottetown, PEI, on July 28, Freeland received several questions about affordability and the recent implementation of the federal carbon tax and clean fuel regulations in PEI.
When asked about the pushback the Liberal government is facing from some local politicians, Freeland says she does “really understand” the challenges small towns may face compared to big cities regarding car dependency.
She then added her own remarks about not owning a car.
“I’m right now an MP for downtown Toronto. A fact that still shocks my dad is that I don’t actually own a car because I live in downtown Toronto. I’m like, I don’t know, 300 metres from the nearest subway. I walk, I take the subway, I make my kids walk, take their bikes and take the subway. It’s actually healthier for them. I can live that way,” she said.
“But I grew up in a small town in Northern Alberta and I got my driver’s licence at 16 … I understand that there are communities in PEI and across Atlantic Canada where you need to drive.”
In response to her comments, the federal Conservative Party released a statement that Freeland’s comments about being car-free were “out of touch.”
“This elite, out-of-touch finance minister doesn’t care how Liberal policies have made life unaffordable for Canadians and thinks the solution is just to live a life like hers,” reads the statement.
Freeland added that she understands the federal government’s policies need to “respect” the fact that Canadians may be more dependent on using their cars than others.
“So I understand that our policies need to respect that. And I really believe they do,” she said.
“I really believe that as people start receiving the Climate Action Incentive Payments, people will recognize that they’re getting money back in their bank accounts, in their pockets.”