Ottawa

BTC: The measure of a man

Scrumming after a rally in downtown Toronto this afternoon, Jack Layton was presented with a few of the dreaded “how well do you understand the plight of the common man?” questions.

First, with Layton talking so much about gouging at the pumps these last two days, a correspondent wanted to know if Layton knew the price of gas in Toronto today.

The NDP leader wagered that the price was “just a little over $1.30.” And according to Torontogasprices.com, the average price in the GTA at the moment is $1.38.

Next, and less predictably, a question about the costs of a loaf of bread and a litre of milk. Layton’s responses (guesses?) were “it’s getting close to three bucks” and “it’s about two bucks” respectively.

Back to the hotel then, and immediately to the nearest grocery store.

Freshly returned from there, it can be reported, for the record, that at the corner of Bay and Dundas, in the heart of Canada’s most populace city, a loaf of bread could be had for $2.99 and a litre of milk could be purchased for $2.69.

A pass then on all three. And proof, obviously, that Jack Layton understands Everyday Canadians.

(P.S. The name of that grocery store? You guessed it. The Kitchen Table.)

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