Plus, Musk, Koch, Rumble — who’s in Poilievre’s inner circle? ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Message From the Editor

Pierre Poilievre speaking in the Canadian Parliament

While Canadians have a reputation for politeness, they’re getting justifiably annoyed lately after President Trump’s incessant ‘jokes’ about annexing Canada as the 51st state and his damaging trade war. Canadian flags and patriotism are in, vacations to the U.S. are out. Why does this matter in the context of climate accountability?

Because voters will decide the future leader of Canada, a major oil and gas producer, in a federal election on April 28. As DeSmog reporters detail regularly, the U.S. has exported more than just climate denial tactics across the northern border. MAGA-style political drama (and plenty of MAGA hats) have made their way into the Canadian political scene.

Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre has a long history of voting against environmental protections and accelerating the expansion of the oil and gas industry during his two decades in Parliament. Before Trump’s inflammatory statehood comments and on-again, off-again tariffs, Poilievre appeared poised to ride a wave of populist sentiment into the Prime Minister’s office. Now, however, Canadian sentiment has chilled over Trump’s aggression, and Poilievre is attempting to draw distinctions between himself and the disruptive populist president across the border.

Meanwhile, Danielle Smith, premier of Alberta, home of the oil sands, faces criticism for appearing supportive of the Trump administration and suggesting Poilievre’s policies would be in sync with the direction of Trump’s America. In audio DeSmog obtained from a private event hosted by PragerU in Florida last week, Smith and conservative influencer Ben Shapiro discussed ways to help Canada elect “solid allies” to the Trump administration.

Smith told Shapiro, “I think the President recognizes especially the importance of oil and gas,” adding that “We already ship about 4.3 million barrels a day of oil to the United States. We’ll keep it coming.” She attempted to laugh off jokes about Canada as the next U.S. state. “I come in peace,” Smith said. Shapiro has previously called the nation a “silly country,” adding that “we can annex it.”

Get the full story on the PragerU event which raised over $1 million for the conservative digital platform that prominently features climate deniers.

For years, Poilievre has sought to portray himself as a champion of Canada’s blue-collar workers, highlighting his “humble origins,” but a new DeSmog map shows how the leader of Canada’s Conservative Party has a more corporate and right-wing inner circle, linked to Koch Inc, Elon Musk, far-right social media platform Rumble, and former prime minister Stephen Harper. Explore our interactive map revealing for the first time the connections between federal lobbyists, tech giants, political operatives, industrial polluters, and the potential leader of Canada.

Have a story tip or feedback? Get in touch: [email protected]. Want to know what our UK team is up to? Sign up for our UK newsletter.

Thanks,
Brendan DeMelle
Executive Director

P.S. Readers like you power our journalism dedicated to climate accountability. Can you donate $10 or $20 right now to support more of this essential work? Thanks so much for your support.

Credit: Pierre Poilievre

Illustrated map of connections between Pierre Poilievre and advocacy, lobbying firms, MAGA/Trump, political insiders, and Canada Conservative Party

Poilievre Mapped: His Inner Circle of Lobbyists and Right-wing Activists

— By Geoff Dembicki (3 min. read) —

New DeSmog map shows how the leader of Canada’s Conservative Party is linked to Koch Industries, Elon Musk, and former prime minister Stephen Harper.

Left, Danielle Smith and Ben Shapiro at a gala dinner event with American flags and a screen behind them

Danielle Smith and Ben Shapiro Discuss Canada Electing ‘Solid Allies’ to Trump at Florida Event

— By Geoff Dembicki (5 min. read) —

On stage at a PragerU fundraiser, the Alberta premier, under fire for allegedly encouraging U.S. leaders to influence Canadian politics, said ‘I come in peace’.

Grocery store shelves with cheese and butter

Supermarkets Accused of Major Methane ‘Blindspot’

— By Rachel Sherrington (5 min. read) —

Carrefour, Lidl, Tesco and Walmart are among top food retailers without concrete plans to tackle potent greenhouse gas, according to analysis.

An artfully arranged display of bright flowers and ferns against a black background, with 'AKQAbloom' in white text center right.

EXCLUSIVE: Global Ad Giant WPP Shutters Sustainability-Focused Agency

— By Ellen Ormesher (4 min) —

AKQA Bloom’s closure comes amid calls for the ad and PR industry to stop working with fossil fuel clients.

A gathering of First Nations speak and hold signs protesting oil tanker traffic in British Canada.

Some First Nations Ready ‘to Rise’ if Poilievre Lifts BC Oil Tanker Ban

— By Daniel Mesec (11 min. read) —

A DeSmog dispatch from Prince Rupert, which could be ground zero for Canada’s next big oil export fight.

The words 'climate denier spotlight' in wide appear against a transitional gray background with three smokestacks and two intersecting yellow spotlights highlight a bag of gold.

PragerUniversity, branded as PragerU, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit conservative media organization founded in 2011 by radio talk show host and author Dennis Prager and his business partner Allen Estrin. As noted on its website, “Prager University is not an accredited academic institution and does not offer certifications or diplomas.” According to a Rewire profile, “Dennis Prager has historically fought against what he describes as ‘liberal’ evils—marriage equality, feminism, and multiculturalism.” Dennis Prager has described the group’s mission as combating “liberal bias” at American universities. It does this through five-minute video segments, which it describes as “conservative sound bites that clarify profoundly significant and uniquely American concepts for more than 100 million people each year.” Two of PragerU’s largest supporters are the fracking industry billionaires Dan and Farris Wilks, who have gained a reputation as “the Koch brothers of the Christian Right.” PragerU’s “Environmental Science” course is dominated by videos of prominent climate crisis deniers including Alex Epstein, Bjorn Lomborg, Patrick Moore, and Richard Lindzen.

Read the full profile and browse other individuals and organizations in our Climate Disinformation Database, Ad & PR Database, and Koch Network Database.