Students at Ryerson University were disappointed by the former vice-president’s recent visit to campus; expecting an engaging discussion on climate change and instead being force fed Liberal propaganda.

It was obvious from the first few minutes into Al Gore’s speech that he hadn’t come to Ryerson to talk about climate at all, but instead to give Premier Kathleen Wynne’s June re-election bid a boost. Many audience members were frustrated by the discussion and didn’t hide it, standing up and leaving while Gore was still speaking.

“I took the morning off to come here, hoping to hear an empowering discussion about leadership, not to hear Al Gore swoon over Kathleen Wynne.” said one attendee.

“It’s been a privilege for me to have had the opportunity over the last many years to work with Premier Kathleen Wynne,” said Gore.

At one point Gore even he admitted that “it might seem like I’m laying in on thick” in regards to his praise for Kathleen Wynn, but the angry attendees storming out of the Mattamy Athletic Centre didn’t seem to bother him as he continued on his shameless boasting of the premier.

“I travel all over the world and I cite Ontario as an example of a provincial government that is doing it right: creating jobs, building the base for economic progress, while also staving off the severe danger that the climate crisis poses to all of us,” he said.

Gore spoke at length about Ontario’s “cap-and-trade” carbon pricing system that the province shares with Quebec and California, calling it better than a carbon tax. He even took a jab at the four progressive conservative candidates who have vocalized their intent to abandon the “cap-and-trade” system and fight the imposition of a federal carbon tax, saying that their proposals would set the province back.

Many people in attendance were thrown off by the nature of Al Gore’s speech and left feeling disappointed and angry – myself included. I was excited and humbled to even be in the same room as the man who revolutionized the climate movement and as a former Liberal supporter, I was personally offended that the party pulled this sort of game on millennials in particular – considering that 45% of the millennial vote, was in favour of the Liberals.

It’s no secret that the Liberals have power thanks to the increasing number of young voters and for them to try and pull a fast one on us, is incredibly insulting. Did they not think we would see right through this? If this event was supposed to be some way to connect with young voters it missed the mark big time and instead made students feel like a pawn in a gross political game.

Gore ended off his speech by claiming that “the will to change is itself, a renewable resource”. Here’s to hoping that this applies to the shameless political stunts as well.