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Watch John Oliver Break Canadian Election Law on Last Week Tonight

2 minute read

John Oliver thinks so little about Canada that when he discussed the country’s election on Last Week Tonight he didn’t bother coming up with a clever definition for it — that’s how little he thinks about the country.

That said, Oliver does think the world should care about Canadian politics and the election that take place there on Oct. 19, basically because you would care if your next door neighbor started dating “a complete and utter d–head.” In Oliver’s opinion, that “d–head” is Stephen Harper, the current prime minister. Oliver is not a fan of Harper’s due to his “pandering to Islamophobes,” his “terrible, terrible band” named after a “French pun,” and his willingness to take photos with the lead singer of Nickelback.

Oliver really wanted to tell people not to vote for Harper, but it’s against Canadian law for a non-citizen to try to influence a Canadian election, the violation of which could result in a $5,000 fine or jail time.

But Oliver’s not scared of six months of Canadian prison and he can’t imagine a better away to spend a stack of Canadian cash. “If telling you not to vote for Stephen Harper is going to cost me $5,000, I’m going to get my money’s worth and do it in the most Canadian way possible,” declared Oliver. Then, accompanied by a beaver wearing a maple leaf shirt playing “Sweet Caroline” on the synthesizer along with a moose getting a colonoscopy under Canada’s health care system, Mike Myers dressed as a mountie driving a snowplow, urged people not to vote for Harper.

Then Oliver happily broke Canadian election law by declaring, “Stephen Harper doesn’t care about Muslim people.” He then made it rain Canadian dollars all over the stage. Who thinks Canadian politics are boring now?

Multimedia Heartbreaker: The National Film Board of Canada

A screen capture showing the opening page of Welcome to Pine Point by the Goggles, a project awarded two Webby Awards in 2011. Courtesy of NFB
The home page of Welcome to Pine Point, created with archival photographs from the town's former residents. Courtesy of NFB
The extensive site shows the town as it was remembered by its residents in photos and video. A screen capture shows the layering of the two mediums in a part about the Pine Point golf course. Courtesy of NFB
A page from Welcome to Pine Point showing vintage photos of Richard Cloutier, who was known as the town bully, but now keeps an online archive of his former high school. His archive was the starting point for the project. Courtesy of NFB
A page from Welcome to Pine Point showing photos of Richard Cloutier in the present day. The site lets you explore how his life changed since leaving Pine Point. Courtesy of NFB
A page from Welcome to Pine Point showing a video of Richard Cloutier in the present day.Courtesy of NFB
A page from Welcome to Pine Point showing former residents Lyle and Wayne who since leaving Pine Point now run three Tim Hortons. Courtesy of NFB
A screen capture showing a scene from Welcome to Pine Point. The site uses vintage VHS footage from the towns residents curated by the Goggles (Paul Shoebridge and Michael Simons, formerly of Adbusters).Courtesy of NFB
A screen capture from This Land by artist Diane Whelan.Courtesy of NFB
A screen capture from Main Street by Danny Singer. This site walks visitors through a giant panoramic photograph of the town.Courtesy of NFB
A screen capture from Main Street by Danny Singer.Courtesy of NFB
A screen capture from Please Call Very Sentimental by Alicia Smith. A piece that looks at the messages of people looking for lost photographs on Craigslist. Courtesy of NFB
A screen capture from Please Call Very Sentimental by Alicia Smith. A piece that looks at the messages of people looking for lost photographs on Craigslist. Courtesy of NFB

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