Conservative leadership candidate Pierre Poilievre condemned German Formula 1 driver Sebastian Vettel for wearing a T-shirt insulting Alberta’s oilsands to the Montreal Grand Prix. .“He’s a high-carbon hypocrite,” said Poilievre in a Saturday video. .“Not just in his T-shirts, but in his actions.” .Vettel arrived to the event grounds on a bicycle while wearing a shirt reading: “Stop mining tar sands. Canada's climate crime.”.Vettel wore a helmet with a similar message. Poilievre said Vettel’s helmet might be too tight, “constricting circulation to the part of the brain that detects hypocrisy.” .Poilievre said Vettel races in a “fuel guzzling automobile.” F1 said it emits 250,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases every year. .Poilievre continued by saying Canadians are used to high-carbon hypocrites, as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is one. .He said Trudeau travels around the world while making Canadians pay more to fill up their cars. .He added Trudeau blocks pipelines, which means Canada has to import overseas oil from Saudi Arabia. The money Canada sends Saudi Arabia, he said, funds its dictatorship and its corporate profits. .By blocking Canada’s energy exportation, Poilievre said Russian President Vladimir Putin is able to dominate European markets. He said Russia dominating European markets allows Putin to fund his attacks on Ukraine. .Poilievre said Canada needs to reward Canadian oil and gas companies investing in green technology. He said these companies are “respecting human rights, paying good wages to working-class people, helping First Nations escape poverty.” .If he becomes prime minister, he said he would repeal anti-energy laws to make Canada energy independent. He vowed to ban foreign oil in five years. .“Ignore the high-carbon hypocrites and virtue-signalling T-shirts and helmets,” he said. .“Let’s take back control of our lives.”
