New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie tested his U.S. presidential campaign machine in foreign territory Dec. 4 in Calgary where he was likely to have a few actual American voters sprinkled among an audience of 300 at a Calgary Chamber of Commerce luncheon.
While emphatic that he has yet to decide on making a run for the White House in 2016, the 52-year-old Republican sounded like a man on the stump.
Too bad for him the voting potential was so thin, especially given the standing ovation that greeted his 40-minute speech and answers to questions from the floor.
The next day he met with Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Industry Minister James Moore and Employment Minister Jason Kenney during a private session in Ottawa, a day after Christie gave Harper the most glowing assessment the Canadian leader has likely heard in many years.
“I have been so impressed with the prime minister’s sound, skillful, principled, conservative leadership,” Christie said.
Following the meeting, Christie said he had conveyed a message to Harper that the U.S. has “a fabulous relationship with Canada and we should make it even stronger.”
Christie on XL
Above all, what delighted his listeners in Calgary was an emphatic statement that the U.S. regulatory process around TransCanada’s US$8 billion Keystone XL pipeline has “gone way overboard,” and accused President Barack Obama of endangering U.S. jobs, energy production and economic growth by stalling on an XL decision.
“This is not about sending your oil across our land,” he said. “This is about maximizing the benefits of North America’s natural resources for the benefit of everybody. On the merits (XL) should be approved.”
He said Keystone XL “has now languished for six years. And I think this sends a very unfortunate signal.”
In staking out his claim to be Canada’s new BFF - best friend forever, Christie said he deliberately chose Canada, having gained the “impression over time watching American foreign policy that Canada has been an afterthought and I think it should be a first thought.”
“I don’t think we pay enough attention to this relationship as Americans in general, so I made a very conscious decision to come to Canada, to come here to Alberta because we should treat our friends with both respect and attention,” he said.
Industry meeting
Following his Calgary speech, Christie met with TransCanada Chief Executive Officer Russ Girling, Enbridge CEO Al Monaco, Canadian Natural Resources’ Chairman Murray Edwards and ConocoPhillips Canada President Ken Lueers, plus about a dozen other industry executives.
Girling told reporters he was happy to hear a rising U.S. politician pay so much attention to cross-border cooperation.
“This relationship between the U.S. and Canada, the trade relationship, is enormous and the Keystone pipeline has been a question mark,” he said. “It’s very positive for us to have folks like Mr. Christie supportive of trade and supportive of Canada.
“Anybody who has this kind of stature who can talk about the facts in the marketplace and in the public domain, I think, is helpful.”
At the end of the day, Keystone XL is “just a pipeline, but it’s become this central focal point,” Girling said. “Let’s bring down the rhetoric, let’s build the pipeline and get on with dealing with real policy issues like greenhouse gas emissions.”
Earlier in the day Christie and Alberta Premier Jim Prentice held a joint press conference where the governor said the two nations need to foster energy cooperation.
Ted Morton, a former Alberta finance minister, said the Chamber of Commerce audience was “happy (Christie) gave a thumbs up to Keystone XL. The president and some of his friends seem to think this is somehow novel and something dangerous.”
