A recent Conservative TV ad, full of jet planes and Rocky Mountain vistas, may have been plagiarized from an ad supporting American Tea Party politician Tim Pawlenty.

The Conservative ad includes a voiceover from Prime Minister Stephen Harper in which he describes Canada as a "courageous warrior" and a "compassionate neighbour," with himself in the picture for both phrases. He calls Canada "the best country in the world," while Pawlenty, a former Minnestor governor, calls the US "the most successful nation the world has ever known." Both include loud musical scores and clips of hockey successes. Pawlenty's ad was released in January.

The striking similarities between the ads have been noted by the Globe and Mail and blogs such as Democratic Underground and Blunt Objects.

Crawford Kilian is a contributing editor of The Tyee.