Saskatchewan’s Scott Moe concerned about Biden’s opposition to Keystone XL

SASKATOON — Saskatchewan Party Leader Scott Moe says if the Democrats win next month’s U.S. election, he has concerns about the future of the Keystone XL pipeline.

Moe is himself running for re-election on Oct. 26 and, while on the campaign trail, weighed in on comments about the project made by presidential candidate Joe Biden.

Biden has promised to kill the 2,000-kilometre pipeline, which would carry up to 830,000 barrels a day of crude oil from Alberta to Nebraska and travel through Saskatchewan.

It had been rejected by former president Barack Obama when Biden was vice-president, but approved by President Donald Trump.

Moe says he’s been in contact with American governors along the pipeline’s route.

He says he would also expect Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to push for the project’s construction if Biden were to win.

“I would expect that our prime minister … would advocate on behalf of the western Canadian energy industry and more specifically, the western Canadian workers in that industry,” Moe said.

“(It’s) a very important project for ensuring that western Canadian energy can get down into the Gulf Coast and ultimately to global markets, as we seem to have the inability to build that type of infrastructure across this nation.”

The Saskatchewan NDP did not immediately respond to a request for comment.