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Some federal leaders are getting close to declaring the oil and gas industry a hostile force.

That’s one result of this dismal campaign. To score climate-change brownies, they’re pushing the country down a dangerous, divisive road.

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In the French-language debate Thursday, Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau said he has to continue the fight against conservative premiers Jason Kenney, Doug Ford and the oil interests that support them.

Contrary to a mistranslation on the English TV version, he did not say “oil barons.”

But in French, Trudeau lumped Ford and Kenney with “les petroliers qui les appuient.”

This is a difference in nuance, not basic meaning. Even referring to the industry in that hot political context is revealing. Imagine him lumping the miners, or the foresters, or the automakers, in with his political enemies.

The first section of the debate — on energy and environment — was really about climate change and how to get rid of oil and gas as soon as possible.