Pierre Poilievre Makes Energy Pitch to Trump in Highly Anticipated Meeting

In a bid to address trade tensions with the United States, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre has made an energy pitch to President Joe Biden. Poilievre aims to increase Canada’s energy exports to the US while also addressing American concerns about border trafficking and military spending.

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The Pathetic Story of Our Trade Surplus

Poilievre argues that Canada’s trade surplus with the US is not a cause for celebration, but rather a result of our country’s "stupidity." He claims that we are handing over our resources to the Americans at a discounted rate because we have few alternatives. With only one oil-export pipeline in British Columbia and a nascent liquefied natural gas industry, most of Canada’s fuel exports go south.

The Keystone Pipeline: A Long-Running Project

Poilievre suggests that Trump has reason to approve the Keystone XL project, which would ferry 800,000 barrels a day from Alberta’s oilsands to southeast Nebraska. This project was effectively killed by President Biden in 2021, but Poilievre believes it is still worth reviving.

Lost Jobs and Higher Prices

Poilievre warns that if Trump were to block Canada’s trade surplus with the US immediately, American workers at refineries would lose their jobs and consumers would pay higher prices. Instead, he advocates for ramping up extraction of critical minerals that both countries can benefit from while reducing reliance on supplies from unfriendly states like China.

Addressing U.S. Concerns

Poilievre plans to address US concerns about border trafficking and military spending by investing the gains from his energy-exporting strategy in Arctic security. He believes a Conservative government would be able to fund a more robust military and continental defense through increased free trade with the world’s largest economy.

A Great Deal for Both Countries

Poilievre argues that this approach would benefit both Canada and the US, allowing them to get richer while reducing their reliance on supplies from unfriendly states. He has already held talks with conservative leaders of hydrocarbon-rich provinces Alberta and Saskatchewan to expedite resource project approvals.

A More Robust Military and Continental Defense

Poilievre believes that a Conservative government would be able to fund a more robust military and continental defense through increased free trade with the US. He argues that this approach would address US concerns about border trafficking and military spending while also benefiting Canada’s economy.