Alberta’s Jason Kenney is the latest Canadian premier to take aim at U.S. Democrats, calling out presidential hopefuls who want to block the Keystone XL pipeline expansion.
Kenney, speaking at a news conference at the Canadian Embassy in Washington alongside four of his provincial counterparts, wondered aloud — without being asked — why a party that claims to be best friends with Canada would want to undermine one of its most important industries.
Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, two progressive contenders for the Democratic nomination, have promised to block the controversial Keystone XL project should they win the White House.
Kenney says standing in the way of Canadian energy exports to the U.S. is akin to welcoming imports from corrupt regimes that belong to the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
The comments come on the heels of Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s complaints Friday about House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her decision to rip up her copy of President Donald Trump’s State of the Union speech.
Ford, who also called the prospect of a Sanders presidency “scary,” is refusing to elaborate on his remarks, saying today he wants to remain “laser-focused” on his bilateral mission to fortify trade relations with governors and promote the new Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement.