EDMONTON 鈥� Alberta鈥檚 energy minister is defending her government鈥檚 attack on a children鈥檚 movie about Bigfoot that she says is "quite offensive" and carries an inaccurate anti-oil message.
Sonya Savage also says it鈥檚 critical the government push back constantly against what it sees as false narratives that cast Alberta鈥檚 wellspring industry in a negative light.
鈥淣ot everybody is going to agree with every single tactic of the Canadian Energy Centre. I don鈥檛 either,鈥� Savage told a committee examining the Energy Department's budget on Tuesday.
鈥淏ut I did find that the comments that I鈥檝e heard in that cartoon were quite offensive. And the comments have to be countered somewhere.
鈥淎nd there鈥檚 no question whatsoever that we have to find a way to counter the kinds of campaigns and the kind of narrative and the significant misinformation that is targeted at our energy sector.鈥�
Savage was referring to a petition campaign recently launched by the energy centre, informally called the war room, against the animated movie 鈥淏igfoot Family," which can be viewed on the streaming giant Netflix.
The film features talking animals and a domesticated Bigfoot character battling an oil magnate who is seeking to blow up an Alaskan wildlife preserve to gain easier access to petroleum.
The war room is urging followers to send Netflix messages that say the movie is 鈥渂rainwashing our kids with anti-oil and gas propaganda.鈥�
The Sasquatch debate spilled onto the floor during question period.聽
Opposition NDP Leader Rachel Notley said the United Conservative government is making the province a laughingstock. Premier Jason Kenney accused Notley of supporting those who would deride Alberta鈥檚 big-ticket industry.
鈥淲hich investors in Zurich do you think were swayed by your brave stand against a child鈥檚 cartoon character?鈥� Notley asked Kenney.
鈥淚 know the NDP hates oil and gas. They鈥檝e always despised this province鈥檚 largest industry and I鈥檓 sure they鈥檙e cheering on the propaganda in that Netflix story, but we鈥檙e correcting the record as we should,鈥� Kenney countered.
Notley replied: 鈥淢ore people laughing at you is not a win.鈥�
The fuss over the film has prompted a renewed debate between the UCP and the NDP over the war room's goals and purpose.
The centre was started in late 2019 to fulfil a campaign promise by Kenney to challenge what he called misleading and inaccurate statements designed to put the energy sector in a critical light and thereby buttress public support against megaprojects such as pipelines.
The war room was given a $30-million annual budget and immediately stumbled into several high-profile gaffes. It was found to be using another company鈥檚 logo and its staff had referred to themselves as reporters when speaking with sources.
It also attacked, and later apologized, for a series of tweets about the New York Times, saying the newspaper had been 鈥渃alled out for anti-Semitism countless times鈥� and had a 鈥渧ery dodgy鈥� track record.
The war room's budget was cut last year as the COVID-19 pandemic took a wrecking ball to the economy. The centre's budget for the current fiscal year is $10 million and is forecast to be $12 million next year.
The NDP has repeatedly criticized the war room as a high-profile embarrassment and a waste of tax dollars.
NDP energy critic Kathleen Ganley, noting the popularity of the Bigfoot movie is rising, renewed that argument with Savage before the committee on Tuesday.
鈥淚t was getting very little notice, in fact, until such time as the war room came along and suddenly it shot up to be on the list of Top-10, viewed-in-Canada movies on Netflix,鈥� said Ganley.聽
鈥淭he war room seems to be having what I would argue is the opposite effect of the effect that it is intended to have.鈥�
UCP member Peter Guthrie, also on the committee, said the Netflix bump could be interpreted as testimony to the reach and effectiveness of the war room.
鈥淭hey (opponents) claim that the CEC doesn鈥檛 work. But next they highlight that the CEC had the ability to take obscure movies created to present misinformation about the energy sector and boost these obscure movies to the top of the charts,鈥� said Guthrie.
鈥淚 think that鈥檚 pretty awesome if they have that kind of ability.鈥�
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 16, 2021.
Dean Bennett, The Canadian Press
