Donald Trump’s stunning U.S. election victory could have a major impact on one of the most contentious issues in Burnaby, according to a local federal politician.
NDP Burnaby South MP Kennedy Stewart suggested the election results south of the border could mean the Keystone XL Pipeline is back on the table, making Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project unnecessary.
He noted Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has “vigorously” supported the Keystone XL project in the past, while president-elect Trump has said he is in favour of building the project.
“I think it’s (Trump’s election) going to make a big difference for British Columbia,” Stewart told the NOW. “If Keystone is going to be built, we don’t need Kinder Morgan.”
The Keystone XL project is a proposed 1,900-kilometre pipeline that runs from Alberta to Nebraska.
Last year, outgoing U.S. president Barack Obama rejected the application by TransCanada Corp. to build the pipeline, suggesting it would not “serve the national interest” of the country.
The Burnaby South MP argued Alberta supports Keystone XL, it’s mostly built already and would have the same impact as the Trans Mountain or Northern Gateway projects.
“Why would Mr. Trudeau risk Liberal seats here to build a pipeline that is unnecessary if Keystone is going to be built?” Stewart said.
The prime minster and the Liberal cabinet are expected to make a decision on Trans Mountain pipeline by Dec. 19.
The fate of the pipeline was just one of the observations the MP made following Tuesday’s election.
Stewart sees Trump’s victory and the Brexit vote earlier this year as a wakeup call for all politicians.
He argued while economic wealth is distributed wider in Canada, he suggested it is narrowing and he hears it every day in Burnaby from people who can’t afford a place to live.
“The talk of the economy isn’t just talk, it’s real,” he said.
However, Stewart also believes the racism that fueled the campaign in the U.S. isn’t in Canada in the same way.
