Pretentious Canadian Ads

Not too long ago I saw this ad on TV and it really struck me how Canada is trying to impress its own people about how great it's environmental protection plans are going and how it's helping our economy.

My first thought was what's the point of this ad? Is Harper trying to cover up something? The country isn't really doing that well to protect our environment amending laws here and there, easing the way for developers and polluters. We're doing conservation by planting trees? I bet those were volunteers. Our pipelines are safe? Uhh, are you trying to convince us that the fuss about Line 9 is all nonsense now?

Harper must just be trying look good for voters with pretty pictures of places that has nothing to do with his actions. At least he recognizes that the environment is important for jobs, hopefully he'll make one about how it's essential for our health too. 

Then I came across these comments:

"[T]hey have cut environmental protections. They've cut the environmental assessment process and at the same time they are injecting millions of dollars in order to convince Canadians that this is a good thing," argues NDP Natural Resources Critic Peter Julian.

Source: Ottawa spends millions on ads promoting resource development

The Experimental Lakes Area - the critical freshwater research program that the Harper government may close next month - has a modest annual budget of about $2.1 million. And yet the Harper government has budgeted more than four times that amount - $9 million - for its ‘Responsible Resource Development’ ad campaign.

‘We’re talking about spending hundreds of millions of dollars advertising how great Stephen Harper is to Canadians at a time when he tells us we can’t afford a million a year to keep the Experimental Lakes area open,’ said Green party Leader Elizabeth May.

Source: Harper spends on spin rather than science

This is so infuriating! I do not understand at all why somebody would think that these ads were a good idea. That amount of money could do so much good in so many other ways. Anyways, if you're going to waste money at least do it right. You don't have to be a marketing major to see the flaws in the campaign. That youtube video only has 2,500 views and who are we kidding, most of those views are probably journalists and politicians.