Canadians React To Chrystia Freeland’s Tip To Cut Disney+ Subscription To Save Money

Chrystia Freeland, Canada’s Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister, attempted a show of empathy in an interview with Mercedes Stephenson on the Global News on Sunday. But the attempt, sadly, may have fallen short, leaving many Canadians offended and baffled by the comparison.

What Happened?

When The West Block host asked Freeland if the government is “open to reviewing programs, looking for wasteful spending” after being told that cutting taxes and pausing CPP premiums were not on the table, Freeland said that the government announced in April that they were going to look for $9 billion in savings in the federal government. 

She then explained that they have since found $3.8 billion from a review of COVID-related costs. As for the remaining $6 billion, she said that Treasury Board president Mona Fortier is working on finding these savings. The finance minister then proceeded to compare the process to how Canadian families are “looking really closely at all of their expenses.”

“I, personally, as a mother and wife, look carefully at my credit card bill once a month and last Sunday I said to the kids, you’re older now,” she said. “You don’t want to watch Disney anymore, let’s cut that Disney+ subscription. So we cut it. It’s only $13.99 a month that we’re saving, but every little bit helps.”

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“And I think every mother in Canada is doing that right now. And I want to say to all of those mothers, I believe that I need to take exactly the same approach with the federal government’s finances because that’s the money of Canadians.”

“Every Little Bit Helps”

Her response was an attempt at illustrating how in terms of reviewing the federal government’s spending to look for savings, they are taking the “every little bit helps” approach. But it was the choice of example that people took issue with, with many pointing out that people are having to cut down on actual essentials like food — and not just luxuries like streaming services — to survive inflation.

Freeland’s comparison seemed to trivialize the pain of the rising cost of living — especially coming from a top government official at a precarious time when people are demanding more from their government.

But maybe her kids really, really like Disney+?

Information for this briefing was found via Twitter, and the sources and companies mentioned. The author has no securities or affiliations related to this organization. Not a recommendation to buy or sell. Always do additional research and consult a professional before purchasing a security. The author holds no licenses.