Liberal leadership hopeful Chrystia Freeland’s fireside chat went cold for the general public and media Saturday afternoon.
After first being chased from a Barrie cafe because of wintery travelling weather, to an online meet-and-greet and town hall, the event went dark except for Liberal party members, despite it being earlier announced that it was “open to all.”
“I’m not too sure where the miscommunication happened,” said Kat Cuplinskas, Freeland’s press secretary. “This wasn’t an open-to-media event.
“It’s just with Liberal organizers and general Liberal (party) members,” she said.
The event was sponsored by the Federal Liberal Party of Barrie-Springwater-Oro-
Freeland is the former deputy prime minister of Canada and finance minister.
An MP since 2013, she was instrumental in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s decision to step down as Liberal leader, and PM, once a new leader is chosen.
Freeland quit Trudeau’s cabinet in December after he told her he planned to replace her as finance minister with former central banker Mark Carney once she delivered the fall economic statement in the House of Commons.
Trudeau has said he will step down after nine years as prime minister once the Liberals find a new leader — which is to be announced March 9.
Freeland is competing for the Liberal leadership with Carney, former government House leader Karina Gould, former Quebec MP Frank Baylis and former Ontario MP Ruby Dhalla.
— With files from The Canadian Press