Vowing it is a matter of not if but when it is ultimately approved, the federal natural resources minister is responding to U.S. President Barack Obama’s decision to veto the Keystone XL pipeline.
The White House sent notice to the Senate on Tuesday that Obama vetoed a bill that would have approved construction of the Calgary-based TransCanada Corp.’s pipeline which would have connected the Alberta oilsands to Gulf Coast refineries.
Greg Rickford released a statement shortly after news of the veto broke and expressed optimism the project will one day come to fruition.
“This is not a debate between Canada and the U.S.,” Rickford said in the statement. “It’s a debate between the President and the American people, who are supportive of the project.”
Republicans in the United States and the energy industry say the $8 billion project would create jobs, spur growth and increase America's independence from Mideast energy sources.
Democrats in the United States and environmental groups have sought to make the pipeline a poster child for the type of dirty energy sources they say is exacerbating global warming.
Obama's move sends the politically charged issue back to Congress, where Republicans have yet to show they can muster the two-thirds majority in both chambers needed to override Obama's veto.
Rickford (Cons., Kenora) said the pipeline would have many benefits for both countries.
“Keystone XL will create jobs for Canadian and American workers and strengthen energy security for North America,” he said in the statement. “The (U.S.) State Department itself has indicated it can be developed in an environmentally safe manner.
(With files from The Associated Press and The Canadian Press)
