Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre has come under fire after stopping to support an anti-carbon tax convoy camp near the border between New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Poilievre accused Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of lying about the carbon tax, claiming that “everyone hates the tax because everyone’s been screwed over.” In response, Trudeau accused Poilievre of welcoming “the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists.”
Poilievre’s visit to the protest camp has caused a stir, as some of the protesters were seen waving flags with the Diagolon symbol. According to RCMP documents, Diagolon is a militia-like network whose supporters subscribe to an “accelerationist” ideology, which believes that a civil war or the collapse of western governments is inevitable and ought to be sped up. Poilievre’s team has denied following the conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, who has endorsed Poilievre. However, Poilievre has not condemned Jones’ endorsement or the Diagolon symbol.
Poilievre’s visit to the protest camp has been condemned by his political opponents. NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh accused Poilievre of deliberately dividing Canadians, while Trudeau accused him of exacerbating “divisions, fears and polarization” in the country. Poilievre’s team has defended his visit to the protest camp, saying that he is a vocal opponent of Trudeau’s carbon tax and that he made a brief, impromptu stop while driving between stops in Atlantic Canada.
The controversy over Poilievre’s visit to the protest camp highlights the growing divisions in Canadian society over the issue of climate change. The carbon tax is a key part of Trudeau’s climate change plan, but it has been met with strong opposition from some Canadians, who argue that it will hurt the economy and increase the cost of living. Poilievre has tapped into this anger, and his support for the anti-carbon tax protesters is likely to resonate with some voters.
