During an interview for a bonus episode of iPolitics’ No Talking Points podcast, McKenna admitted that she was the subject of the anecdote and said she was simply referring to the world as being crazy, as opposed to applying that label to any person.
Catherine McKenna says she was the cabinet minister on the receiving of Justin Trudeau’s lecture over the use of the word crazy, as retold in Chrystia Freeland’s memoir, Unreliable Boyfriend.
In the book, Freeland says an unnamed female cabinet minister was subjected to a lengthy reprimand from Trudeau for using the term, which he viewed as a “derogatory adjective” that was “insulting to people with mental health issues.”
Trudeau said he instead preferred the term “bananas.”
Freeland described comments during the cabinet meeting as a “long, harsh public scolding.”
During an interview for a bonus episode of iPolitics‘ No Talking Points podcast, McKenna admitted that she was the subject of the anecdote and said she was simply referring to the world as being crazy, as opposed to applying that label to any person.
“I think I was like, ‘The world is crazy.’ I’m not obviously targeting a particular person, and yes, okay, fine, don’t use that word, but it was just very long,” she said of Trudeau’s reprimand.
“I thought it was quite funny because Chrystia did take notes. I don’t think it’s revealing capture of confidence, but I mean, some of it, you’re just like it was kind of bonkers, right? I guess I won’t say crazy. I’ll just say bonkers.”
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McKenna served as environment minister during Trudeau’s first term in office following the 2015 election. During that time, she introduced Canada’s first national carbon pricing strategy and and became the public face of that government’s ambitious climate strategy.
She won re-election in 2019 and was then named infrastructure and communities minister, becoming a key liaison to municipalities in the first year-plus of the COVID-19 pandemic.
After leaving elected office in 2021, she focused on climate advocacy, launched Climate and Nature Solutions and wrote Run Like a Girl, a scrapbook-style memoir that she hopes will inspire young people to enter public service.
Run Like a Girl is available now.
The No Talking Points bonus episode with McKenna will air next week.