We conservatives know that you can judge a man by his critics and his enemies. Now, thanks to Al Gore, we can all rest assured that Prime Minister-designate Stephen Harper is the right man to lead Canada. (Of course, Gizzi told us that a while ago.)
According to the Calgary Herald, Gore is all over the new PM, accusing Big Oil of bankrolling the recent conservative coup that threw out the corrupt Liberal leadership. From the Herald:
Former U.S. vice-president Al Gore has accused the oil industry of financially backing the Tories and their "ultra-conservative leader" to protect its stake in Alberta's lucrative oilsands.
Canadians, Gore said, should vigilantly keep watch over prime minister-designate Stephen Harper because he has a pro-oil agenda and wants to pull out of the Kyoto accord - an international agreement to combat climate change. . . .
Gore warned that Harper wants to remove Canada from the Kyoto accord, which the United States signed under former president Bill Clinton, but has refused to ratify under President George W. Bush.
"Hopefully that will not happen thanks to the minority victory," Gore said of Canada's involvement in Kyoto.
As if running from Kyoto full speed wouldn't be a good thing. Mac Johnson detailed earlier this week how Kyoto will hurt the worlds most efficient economies.
Gore continued with his conspiracy theory:
"The election in Canada was partly about the tar sands projects in Alberta," Gore said Wednesday while attending the Sundance Film Festival in Utah.
"And the financial interests behind the tar sands project poured a lot of money and support behind an ultra-conservative leader in order to win the election . . . and to protect their interests."
"Big Oil" countered:
Darcie Park, spokeswoman for oilsands giant Suncor Energy, said she's taken aback by Gore's remarks and hopes they don't resonate with Canadians.
"Our company just doesn't do business that way. We're really puzzled about where these comments came from," she said.
"Canadians understand how elections work in Canada and understand there are these very tight restrictions around what individuals and companies can contribute to individual parties or campaigns."
My first thought after reading Gore's claims: If you're going to accuse your ideological opponents of being in the back pockets of the oil industry and you want to be taken seriously by members of civilized society, do it somewhere other than the Sundance Film Festival.
