Stephen Harper has doubts on Keystone pipeline approval, sees markets in Asia
By Jordan Press, Postmedia News December 20, 2011
Canada could sell its oil to China and other overseas markets with or without approval of the Keystone XL oil pipeline in the United States, says Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
In a year-end television interview, Harper indicated he had doubts the $7-billion pipeline would receive political approval from U.S. President Barack Obama, and that Canada should be looking outside the United States for markets.
"I am very serious about selling our oil off this continent, selling our energy products off to Asia. I think we have to do that," Harper said in the Monday interview with CTV National News with Lisa LaFlamme.
Harper's comments were released a day after the White House sent signals it might kill TransCanada Corp.'s oilsands pipeline if it is forced to make a decision on the project in 60 days, saying there wasn't sufficient time to complete a new environmental review.
Even though the project could still win approval from the Obama administration, Harper appeared to believe the pipeline would not be completed, meaning Canada would have to look elsewhere to trade its oil.
"When I was down in the United States recently it was interesting. I ran into several senior Americans who all said, 'Don't worry, we'll get Keystone done. You can sell all of your oil to us.' I said, 'Yeah we'd love to,' but I think the problem is now that we're on a different track," Harper said.
In the interview, Harper reiterated the government's position that it wasn't planning a military intervention in Syria similar to the one in Libya, and defended Defence Minister Peter MacKay from reports critical of his spending.
He also took aim at Quebec's legal challenge to the destruction of long-gun registry data.
The province is taking the federal government to court to retain the Quebec portions of the registry's records, which, like all of the registry's records, are to be erased. Quebec wants to use the records to create its own registry, which Harper called "bad policy."
"If we didn't get rid of the data, we wouldn't be abolishing the registry," Harper said.
"If there are provinces that want to set up their own registry, they have that constitutional right."
Harper and his wife Laureen also talked about their children's social media habits, saying Ben and Rachel are careful about what they share online.
"They're pretty understanding. I mean, they don't want everyone to know their business and stuff like that. They do understand," Laureen Harper said.
"They are not cut off from the world," she added.
© Copyright (c) Postmedia News
http://www.vancouversun.com/business/Canadian+China+without+Keystone+pip...
