An operation in Saudi Arabia’s eastern province—which killed more than two dozen civilians and razed an historic neighbourhood—had involved Canadian military combat vehicles. But the Liberal government didn’t seize the chance to collect evidence and make it the basis for a re-evaluation of their exports. They undertook a breath-taking exercise in white-washing.

It all started so promisingly. It’s hard to forget the bright, warm day in early November 2015, when Justin Trudeau, in a perfectly fitted suit and with perfectly tousled hair, strolled with his new cabinet members to the steps of Rideau Hall, opened to the public to witness the swearing-in ceremony of Canada’s new Liberal Party prime minister.

The transition that Canadians want will require enormous levels of spending—and need to be public and paid for. By strengthening and reinventing the public sphere, the government could unleash a program of mass transit, building renovations, storm barriers, urban redesign and green jobs that reduces emissions, racism and inequality all at once. But pretending the private sector can lead this is a recipe for disaster.

Canada’s Conservative government spent several million dollars on a tar sands advocacy fund as its push to export the oil faltered, documents reveal. In its 2013 budget, the government invested $30 million over two years on public relations advertising and domestic and international “outreach activities” to promote Alberta’s tar sands. The outreach activities, which cost $4.5 million, were never publicly disclosed.

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first comprehensive interview with Noam Chomsky about the ecological crisis and what is to be done. It was held in prior to Chomsky’s Montréal lecture in October 2013 (hosted by Canadian Dimension) and has been edited for length and readability. We are delighted to share the interview with you.

At the root of the explosion is deregulation and an energy rush driving companies to take ever greater risks

An Oil Sands team, headquartered in London, has been run by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFAIT) and is spread across eight foreign missions. They have monitored green activism, hired a PR company to try to improve “significant negative media coverage,” and shared “intelligence” with BP, Shell, Total and Norwegian Statoil, who they call “like-minded allies.”