The recent visit to Alberta by American political commentator Tucker Carlson was seized on by the Liberal government, which dispatched four ministers to denounce it.
“It’s unacceptable what we heard yesterday,” Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge told reporters on Jan. 25 outside the Liberal caucus meeting on Parliament Hill.
She was speaking alongside Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault, Transport Minister Pablo Rodriguez, and Employment Minister Randy Boissonnault.
Ms. St-Onge said it’s “absolutely deplorable” that Conservative politicians invited the American “far-right” to Canada.
“You should recognize what is happening to you,” he told the audience. “This is not a political debate to which you’ve been invited to participate. This is a destruction of you and your culture and your beliefs and your children and your future.”
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith participated at both events held in her province. Her comments about Mr. Guilbeault, whom she blames for encroaching on Alberta’s jurisdiction through laws and regulations, were singled out by the Liberal ministers.
During the Calgary event, Mr. Carlson asked if Mr. Guilbeault is an engineer, to which Ms. Smith replied, “He’s an environmental zealot.”
“I wish you would put Steven Guilbeault in your crosshairs,” she said.
The Liberal ministers said this amounted to calling for “political violence.”
“The fact that I was targeted last night at this event, this increases political violence against everyone who runs for office in this country,” said Mr. Guilbeault.
Mr. Boissonault accused Ms. Smith of bringing the “mouthpiece of the conservative MAGA [Make America Great Again] far-right” to the “progressive” riding of Edmonton Centre that he represents.
“You do not summon the dogs of MAGA conservatism to come and somehow try to scare us and to try to incite violence against politicians of any stripe,” he said.
Mr. Guilbeault also called Mr. Carlson a “fallen” TV host “because he lied publicly,” and said Mr. Carlson is “one of those responsible” for the events at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
Ms. Smith has defended her participation in the talks with Mr. Carlson by saying she takes a “wide range of media requests.”
“My job is to get our message out about Alberta, and I told everyone that I wanted to make sure that somebody who has a very loud voice in America knew that we were a partner in being able to provide energy security and energy affordability, and I got that message out.”
