We frequently hear overt criticisms of Trump north of the border, where the general news media can’t make fun of the man enough. And if he were selected as the Republican presidential candidate, it is a safe bet that Canadian politicians of all stripes would enthusiastically declare their personal opposition to Mr. Trump’s candidacy.
Yet when considering Canada’s struggling oil and gas industry, Trump would be far more beneficial than either Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders.
Donald Trump is a serious contender for President of the United States. Last night’s Super Tuesday results belonged to Trump, who turned the busiest day of the 2016 primaries into a showcase of his strength with a wide swath of American voters. Trump won seven states — most in the South but also in New England. It appears with certainty now that he will more than likely be on the ticket against Hillary Clinton (likely) or Bernie Sanders (unlikely).
Only one of the three names mentioned above would have a positive impact on Canada’s struggling oil and gas industry. And the impact would be more than positive.
Aside from global pricing, pipeline constraints are the single biggest issues facing Canada’s oilpatch. President Obama (the man who Canadian politicians cheered to win) devastated Alberta and Saskatchewan’s oil market when he vetoed Keystone XL. Hillary Clinton also publicly came out against the pipeline and Bernie Sanders would likely do all in his power to try to stop the inflow of oil sands to the United States.
Donald Trump, however, would be a little more pro-Canadian oil.
Contrast the Democratic nominees to Donald Trump, it’s likely Keystone would be just the first of many projects a Republican led White House would approve. It is likely that additional pipelines connecting Canadian basins to the other markets would follow KXL. Indeed, Canada’s energy industry would likely expect pro-business approvals from the US to be the norm for the next four years.
Furthermore, Trump is probably the last guy on earth who would be swayed by the Hollywood elite eco-warriors. Trump’s immense personal wealth enables him to be insulated from Super PAC lobbying groups willing to buy political favours.
So while everyone goes around trashing Trump, we should all remember that for the depressed oil industry in Alberta and Western Canada, he is the man who could create thousands of jobs for unemployed oil and gas workers and kick start the Canadian economy. This would stand in stark contrast to Obama’s policies and any future democratic nominees.