Sarah Harmer, Allison Russell, Luna Li & More Demand 'Real Climate Action' From Prime Minister Mark Carney
In an open letter signed by over 325 Canadian musicians, Music Draws the Line asks the Liberal leader to reverse “a dangerous course” of corporate-driven policy, military expansion and climate neglect.
Luna Li
Canadian musicians are demanding "real climate action" from the country’s government.
On September 18, over 325 artists released an open letter calling on Prime Minister Mark Carney to reverse what they describe as “a dangerous course” of corporate-driven policy, military expansion and climate neglect.
Signatories include Sarah Harmer, Allison Russell, Luna Li, Tanya Tagaq, Chester Hansen of BadBadNotGood, Ron Sexsmith, Aysanabee, Bells Larsen, Housewife and more.
The letter is part of the campaign, Music Draws the Line. It argues that Carney's government has cut public services while increasing its military budget, as well as considering expanded oil and gas projects via Bill C-5's Building Canada Act, which overrides protections for the environment and Indigenous rights.
“Canada is at a crossroads,” the letter states. “This is not the progressive agenda Canadians voted for. This is not bold leadership. Increasingly, this is a betrayal.”
It was unveiled two days before Draw the Line Day, a nationwide day of action when people can take a stand on topics ranging from the climate change crisis to social and economic justice.
“We might seem like a nation divided, but on a basic level we all want the same things: for our families and communities to be safe, healthy and sustainably thriving,” shares B.C. singer-songwriter Emily Millard. “We can't have that without addressing climate concerns with open eyes.”
In addition to climate-focused policies, the campaign demands the Liberals allocate more money to the arts, cancel plans to increase military spending, and impose a two-way arms embargo on Israel and prioritize Indigenous sovereignty.
They claim that many left-leaning Canadian voters pivoted to the Liberal Party to block Pierre Poilievre's Conservatives from getting elected, but the collective notes that Carney's policies don't actually align with their values.
“This country deserves more than rhetorical nods — we deserve measurable, structural commitments, the letter concludes.
Find the full letter and all the signatories here.
