Once upon a time, Chrystia Freeland attempted to relate to Canadians害羞草研究所� cost-of-living concerns with a personal anecdote 害羞草研究所� and it didn害羞草研究所檛 produce a fairy-tale ending.

害羞草研究所淚 personally, as a mother and wife, look carefully at my credit card bill once a month, and last Sunday I said to the kids, 害羞草研究所榊ou害羞草研究所檙e older now. You don害羞草研究所檛 watch Disney anymore. Let害羞草研究所檚 cut that Disney Plus subscription,害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟 Freeland told Global News in an interview that aired on Nov. 6.

She went on to say: 害羞草研究所淚 believe that I need to take exactly the same approach with the federal government害羞草研究所檚 finances, because that害羞草研究所檚 the money of Canadians.害羞草研究所�

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 Freeland害羞草研究所檚 attempt to connect with Canadians made her a villain to thousands.

害羞草研究所淭his advice is about as wise as boomers telling younger folks if only they skipped the avocado toast then they could afford a house,害羞草研究所� said one person. The names of the senders are redacted in the documents.

Some commenters felt the minister害羞草研究所檚 attempt to blend in missed the mark, like when Princess Jasmine visited the market in 害羞草研究所淎laddin害羞草研究所� and encountered a less-royal way of life.

Messages accused Freeland of being 害羞草研究所渟mug,害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所渆litist,害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所渃lueless害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所渆ntitled.害羞草研究所�

One person accused her of underestimating the platform害羞草研究所檚 offerings. 害羞草研究所淭here is more than just Disney movies on Disney Plus, so you are actually depriving your children of the things their friends might watch.害羞草研究所�

The person added that Freeland was doing so 害羞草研究所渨hen we all know you can easily afford that.害羞草研究所�

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 they害羞草研究所檇 already cut Disney Plus and wanted to know how to 害羞草研究所渃ancel my portion of the CBC subsidy.害羞草研究所� CBC害羞草研究所檚 $1.2 billion in government funding in 2022 works out to about $30 per Canadian per year.

Others were less sarcastic, noting that 害羞草研究所減overty is not a choice.害羞草研究所�

One email urged the government to better manage inflation.

害羞草研究所淚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?害羞草研究所�

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 doesn害羞草研究所檛.

害羞草研究所淭hat was an absolute slap in the face to people who are truly struggling,害羞草研究所� she wrote.

害羞草研究所淟ike I tell my son: You need to think before you speak.害羞草研究所�

One would-be knight in shining armour did come to Freeland害羞草研究所檚 defence, emailing to say they, too, had cut out TV channels 害羞草研究所� along with beauty treatments, travel and cellphones, among other things.

They argued: 害羞草研究所淚nflation means lifestyles must be changed!害羞草研究所�

Staff in the Finance Department did a social media scan on Nov. 7, the day after Freeland害羞草研究所檚 series of interviews about the fall economic statement.

Over two days, there were 13,000 mentions of Freeland and Disney Plus, and 害羞草研究所渃overage was predominantly negative,害羞草研究所� an official in charge of media monitoring wrote in an email.

A word cloud graphic attached to the email showed the phrases 害羞草研究所渢one-deaf害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所渉igh inflation害羞草研究所� featured prominently.

Freeland walked back her remark the next day, telling reporters that 害羞草研究所淟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.害羞草研究所�

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.

害羞草研究所擲arah Ritchie, The Canadian Press

READ MORE: