Progressive news, views and ideas Conservatism Populism and Crisis CANADIAN CENTRE FOR POLICY ALTERNATIVES CENTRE FOR POLICY CANADIAN 2019 JULY/AUGUST Contributors Ricardo Acuña is Executive Shane Gunster teaches in the Caroline Orr is a research Director of the Parkland School of Communication analyst and reporter with Institute at the University of at Simon Fraser University National Observer, where she Alberta and sits on the CCPA and is a research associate leads the online magazine’s Vol. 26, No. 2 Members’ Council. with the CCPA. His research coverage of disinformation ISSN 1198-497X focuses on media and and the rise of hate in Greg Albo teaches political Canada Post Publication 40009942 advocacy communications Canada. economy at York University Monitor related to the politics of The is published six times in Toronto. His recent Randy Robinson is Director of a year by the Canadian Centre for energy and climate. His publications include Divided the CCPA-Ontario. Policy Alternatives. latest co-authored book is Province: Ontario Politics Journalism and Climate Crisis: Paul Saurette is a professor in The opinions expressed in the in the Age of Neoliberalism Monitor are those of the authors Public Engagement, Media the School of Political Studies (McGill-Queen's University and do not necessarily reflect Alternatives (Routledge, at the University of Ottawa Press), A World Turned Upside the views of the CCPA. 2017). where he researches a wide Down? Socialist Register variety of topics including Please send feedback to 2019 (Monthly Review Press), Shauna MacKinnon is [email protected]. ideology, rhetoric, political and Class, Party, Revolution Associate Professor at the communication and ethics. Editor: Stuart Trew (Haymarket Books). University of Winnipeg’s His most recent book (with Senior Designer: Tim Scarth Urban and Inner City Layout: Susan Purtell Mohammad Akbar is Kelly Gordon) is The Changing Program. 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REGISTERED CHARITY #124146473 RR0001 CONTENTS CONSERVATISM, POPULISM AND CRISIS / 12-50 Extractive populism and the future of Canada Shane Gunster Populism as good storytelling Paul Saurette Kenney’s enemies Ricardo Acuña Saskatchewan’s less-than-effective climate strategy Simon Enoch Sabotaging Ontario Randy Robinson For an ecological populism Robert Neubauer Ontario brings anti-union fight to post-secondary education Mohammad Akbar Hard right turn in Ontario Greg Albo François Legault, Quebec’s centre-right of attention Claude Vaillancourt Politics of light and shadows Roxanne Dubois The Pallister government shifts into high gear Lynne Fernandez and Shauna MacKinnon Protecting our freedom to disagree Michaela Mayer Bolsonaro’s clearcut populism Asad Ismi Far-right extremists rebrand to evade social media bans Caroline Orr Civil disobedience in the time of Trans Mountain Gordon A.Bailey Facts versus fear Alyssa O’Dell Editorial 2 | Letters 3 | New From the CCPA 4 | Up Front 5 | Index 30 | Good News Page 52 | Books 54 From the Editor STUART TREW Pipeline populism T HAS BEEN pointed out many times opportunity as an unfortunate but newly minted Premier of Alberta was that Canada is addicted to oil. Like inevitable result of globalization. to set up a “war room” to attack the all addictions, ours is debilitating. It Some of these new voices want to “foreign-funded radicals” opposed to Ihas erased the line between state and build a more equal society. Most of new pipelines—and the tar sands ex- private industry (thin as that line is, them, however, blame immigrants, pansion they would facilitate. Ricardo in general, in most countries), stifles Indigenous peoples, LGBTQ2+, and Acuña (pg. 19) puts Kenney’s strategy in our politics, and is holding back local, “foreign funded” rights advocates (pg. historical context, as the latest example provincial and national preparations 38) for the crisis, then direct popular of an Alberta government posing as for a world without fossil fuels. Crude outrage toward even more socially and the victim of eastern elites. If Kenney oil makes up about a fifth of Canadian economically destructive policies. is special, it is only for outdoing his exports ($97 billion in 2017), puts $15 In Canada, an upswing in conserv- predecessors. Over the course of his billion a year into the public purse, and ative populism fuelled by sitting and Progressive Conservative and then directly or indirectly employs hun- aspiring politicians is being aimed UCP leadership bids, writes Acuña, dreds of thousands of people. Curing squarely at anyone who would get in “Kenney laid the groundwork for direct- our addiction to oil and gas will take the way of new fossil fuel infrastruc- ing Albertans’ anger and frustration…at time and money, and historic levels ture. Populist rhetoric has also been a rogue’s gallery of alleged miscreants.” of Indigenous–federal–provincial used provincially to justify defunding Former premier Rachel Notley, current co-operation, but it absolutely has to social programs and services designed B.C. Premier John Horgan, Prime Min- happen—starting now. to fight poverty and inequality (pages ister Justin Trudeau, and HSBC, one Instead, Canada remains trapped in 22, 27 and 28-29), and to deplete public of Europe’s largest banks, are all on a pseudo-constitutional fight over new tax revenues that new governments Kenney’s growing enemies list. pipelines. “Blue Wave” premiers from could use to re-invest in the future If we zoom out a little, extractive Alberta to New Brunswick, despite (page 34). We begin our special issue populism seems like a nice problem their recent experiences with climate on these trends with Shane Gunster’s to have. In other parts of the world change–related flooding, droughts and examination (page 13) of the links (Europe, India, Brazil and the United wildfires, are adamant: the “national between “extractive populism” and States, for example) right-wing pop- interest” aligns with the profitability more virulent nationalist, misogynist ulist politicians have struck overt of Canada’s largely foreign-owned fos- and anti-immigrant sentiments that, alliances with national supremacist sil fuel sector—not the global need to