Conservative Christian Capitalists, Oh My.

This is part three of a multi-part series of articles. If you missed the first and second, I recommend reading those first. I hope you enjoy!

In 2016, the government of Canada gave provincial leaders two years to implement their own carbon tax programs. As that deadline loomed Brian Pallister, Manitoba’s Conservative premier at that time, refused to adopt the Liberal government’s carbon tax. This despite the fact that support for the program increased after Justin Trudeau announced a carbon tax rebate. Echoing conservative anti-tax narratives, Pallister said his government would go with a “a made-in-Manitoba green plan — without a carbon tax”. Pallister appeared to play to his base’s preferences for a hands-off government, saying he would “stand up for Manitobans… when the feds come in” to enforce their carbon tax regulations.

Anti-state sentiment grew throughout segments of Manitoba’s population in the Spring of 2020, when the provincial government declared a state of emergency and imposed health regulations to reduce the spread of the Covid virus. While each health ministry issued differing pandemic restrictions, every province and territory across Canada declared a state of emergency. Church leaders and parishioners in Manitoba were among the most vocal opponents to rules against group gatherings, which interfered with their ability to hold in-person services. As McLean and colleagues describe in their article, Faith, Fuel, and Freedom on the Canadian Far Right, many conservative christians believe free will and individual choice are their “god-given right”, and view vaccine mandates and covid restrictions as attacks on their religious freedoms.

Part of the right-wing christian equivalential chain connects individual rights and freedoms, and the fervent resistance against any perceived government overreach, with freedom of religion. From this perspective, a person’s ultimate responsibility in life is not to their fellow human, “not to the government, but to God”. Manitobans opposed to regulations on vaccines, masks, and group gatherings would find like-minded conservatives among those who believe environmental protection legislation is being imposed by “globalist elites” who want to use the government to repress individual liberties. According to this rhetoric, free will and “free markets” go hand-in-hand. Rather than supporting attempts to reduce our carbon emissions, to care for our environment and fellow citizens, right-wing conservatives promote the fossil fuel industry in the name of “protecting consumer choice”.