Liberal leadership hopeful Martha Hall Findlay says her comments about class and wealth at a weekend debate that elicited boos from some audience members were not meant as a personal attack against Justin Trudeau.
Hall Findley, who apologized to Trudeau and his family, said she was merely trying to point out that income disparity is a widespread issue in Canada and that a successful candidate must know how to address that.
“In the exchange with Justin, we were talking about class and I don’t like the use of (the word) ‘class.’ I want us to talk about income disparities,” Hall Findlay told CTV’s Power Play on Monday.
“I want us to recognize that every Canadian wants a job…every Canadian wants their kids to have a future.”
Hall Findley was booed during the Liberal leadership debate on Saturday when she said that Trudeau is self-admittedly not a member of the middle class and suggested he would have a tough time understanding “the real challenges facing Canadians.”
Trudeau responded by saying he has had great opportunities in life that allowed him to give back to his community.
Hall Findlay issued her apology on Sunday, saying she was just questioning whether Trudeau is qualified to be the next Liberal leader.
“There is absolutely no control anybody has over the conditions into which they were born, the privilege they were born into,” Hall Findlay told Power Play.
“I would never attack somebody personally on that because it’s beyond their control.”
