Alberta Premier Jason Kenney is in Washington to convince lawmakers in the Capitol that his province is their best bet for North America’s energy security.
Mr. met. Kenney to reporters Monday before his testimony Tuesday before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.
This hearing, which aims to explore the partnership energy and minerals between Canada and the United States, will also include a virtual testimony from the Minister of Natural Resources, Jonathan Wilkinson.
Quebec Deputy Minister of Mines, Nathalie Camden, and the President of Electricity Canada, Francis Bradley, are also set to testify.
Part of Kenney’s delegation were Alberta Energy Minister Sonya Savage and Environment Minister Jason Nixon.
Tuesday’s hearing came at the invitation of the committee’s chairman, West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, a conservative Democrat and a decisive vote in the equally divided Senate, made a high -profile visit to Alberta last month.
Mr. Kenney has long been a strong advocate of Alberta’s role as a reliable and trusted source of energy for the United States, a message he said has resonated even more since the beginning of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February.
Joe Manchin has proven to be an important ally, as a vocal critic on the first day of U.S. President Joe Biden’s decision to cancel the controversial Keystone XL pipeline expansion, between Alberta’s oil sands and Gulf Coast refineries.
The Keystone XL pipeline is something we should not neglect. Now I hope notsaid Mr. Manchin on his visit.
Meanwhile, the White House has repeatedly rejected the idea that allowing the project to proceed would ease pressure on rising U.S. fuel prices due to inflation and widespread international bans on Russia’s energy imports.
But Mr. Kenney’s visit this week may have something to do with turbulent domestic politics in Alberta as well as the changing global geopolitical landscape.
Mr. will return. Kenney in Alberta on Wednesday and he will hear the results of the United Conservative Party vote on whether he should continue as leader and premier.
Just last week he declined no doubt, completely stops the idea of calling elections a year ahead of schedule in hopes of restoring some unity in the party and maintaining its grip on power.
The ruling party has been rocked by bitter fighting in recent months, including public criticism of Jason Kenney in his own caucus, which will culminate in the results of a confidence vote on Wednesday.
Source: Radio-Canada
