Canada鈥檚 natural resources minister says that he hopes the new U.S. administration will allow the Keystone XL pipeline quashed by Barack Obama to proceed, noting that all Canadian regulatory approvals are in place.
Jim Carr spoke to CTV鈥檚 Power Play from Washington, D.C., where U.S. President Donald Trump was inaugurated Friday. Defence Minister Harijit Sajjan and Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland were also in the U.S. capital.
Carr said that 鈥渁ll of the approvals that have to be in place are in place in Canada鈥� and that Trump 鈥渟hould know and Canadians should know that we think the project is good for Canada.鈥�
Carr said that he believes the project 鈥渨ill create jobs and be good both for American workers and Canadian workers.鈥� The 1,897-kilometre pipeline from Alberta to Nebraska was rejected by Barack Obama in Nov. 2015 after pressure from environmental groups.
Some have suggested Alberta鈥檚 oil sector will no longer need Keystone XL to get its products to market after the Liberals approved two other pipeline expansions in November. The Kinder Morgan expansion through metro Vancouver and Line 3 replacement through Saskatchewan and Manitoba were approved in November. The Northern Gateway project proposed for northern B.C., was rejected by the Liberals at the same time.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in November that during their first-ever phone call, Trump 鈥渂rought up Keystone XL and indicated that he was very supportive of it and hoping that were going to be able to work together.鈥�
During last year鈥檚 election campaign Trump said he would approve it but also said 鈥渢he people of the United States should be given a piece -- a significant piece -- of the profits.鈥�
Tim McMillan, the head of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, that Trump鈥檚 鈥淎merica first鈥� themed inaugural address is a 鈥渂it of a wake-up call that we need to strengthen our relationships on energy with other countries.鈥�
"For our industry, where we have an integrated system -- we have energy going both north and south -- I think we will be very conscious to ensuring that how our interests are aligned is clear with the new administration,鈥� McMillan said.
posted Friday on Trump鈥檚 official White House says his administration is 鈥渃ommitted to energy policies that lower costs for hardworking Americans and maximize the use of American resources, freeing us from dependence on foreign oil.鈥�
Carr said that any 鈥渃oncessions鈥� that Trump demands on Keystone 鈥渨ould be a conversation, no doubt, that he would have with the proponent, TransCanada.鈥�
鈥淭he job of government is to assure that the regulatory process is credible, that it鈥檚 seen to be fair and that there鈥檚 a balance between environmental integrity and job creation,鈥� Carr said. 鈥淲e think that is the job that we have done 鈥� it will now be up to the American administration.鈥�
