As a typical U.S. citizen, it’s hard enough to keep up with my own local politics and crazy presidential races. Why should I care about the goings-on about Canada’s elections? Wait, what? John Oliver spent the final segment of Last Week Tonight talking about it? Oh, then it must be important.
After noting the “grueling 78-day campaign” and remarking on some of the zanier local Canadian stories, Oliver turned his attention to sitting Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Harper’s stances against Canada’s environmental laws, marijuana, and Muslim women wearing niqabs irked Oliver to no end, but not nearly as much as Harper being in a terrible band. And while you’d think it would be fine to go on HBO and rally for or against whichever politician you want, Canada actually has a law in place banning non-residents from telling people who to vote for, risking a $5,000 fine, six months in prison, or both.
This was the last straw. So with the help of a beaver, a moose, and Mike Myers, Oliver took the most Canadian approach possible to urge the electorate to keep Harper out of office. And this time, Mike Myers found himself in the middle of a political stand on purpose.
