OLSEN - The Canadian government is also trying to convince Canadians they are serious about climate change and that we should all pay for our carbon emissions

Have you watched Hasan Minhaj’s take-down of Canada through his interview with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on his Netflix show Patriot Act yet? His assessment of our deep inconsistencies is eye-opening.

On several critical issues, Minhaj sets up Canada as a shining example of progressive ideals then he hits us with our dark shadowy side that we would rather not admit. He establishes Canada as the country that created peace-keeping and who also builds war machines and sells them to the likes of Saudi Arabia.

Perhaps it was the trap that Minhaj set for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on climate action and fossil fuel production that is the most damning reality we must rationalize together.

Horse trades and doublespeak

Over the past four years, a series of political horse trades has our country tied in rhetorical knots.

The Canadian government is subsidizing the massive expansion of the liquified gas (LNG) industry to the tune of billions of dollars straight off the backs of taxpayers. They have forgiven tariffs on foreign steel and aluminium that allows LNG Canada to build a majority of the plant offshore and ship it to Kitimat for assembly. 

What about all those jobs they promised us in return for our hard-earned cash?

The government’s fossil fuel regulator (the National Energy Board) predictably did a terrible job engaging and consulting (something they were never set up to do, never mind do well) on the Trans Mountain Pipeline project. Kinder Morgan saw an opportunity to take advantage of a government so twisted in its own deceit they forced the government, on behalf of the Canadian taxpayer, to buy the decaying pipeline and failed expansion project.

At the same time as all of this, the Canadian government is also trying to convince Canadians they are serious about climate change and that we should all pay for our carbon emissions. Everyone except for the largest emitters.

This is obviously a tough sell under the layers of gooey hypocrisy.

Put on notice!

We have been struggling with these inconsistencies for years. Now our neighbours south of the border are taking notice. If you have Netflix, I recommend you watch as our Prime Minister is unable to resolve the dissonance.

We have some work to do, and in this episode of Patriot Act Minhaj does a sound job of exposing and poking our soft spots. I saw a few social media posts of non-Liberals celebrating our Prime Minister’s difficulty on the Netflix stage.

Frankly ... these are questions for each one of us to answer!

Adam Olsen ... is a Green Party Member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia for Saanich North and the Islands. Born in Victoria, BC in 1976, Adam has lived, worked and played his entire life on the Saanich Peninsula. He is a member of Tsartlip First Nation (W̱JOȽEȽP), where he and his wife, Emily, are raising their two children, Silas and Ella.