Energy relationship between countries high on agenda
Steinbach MLA, Kelvin Goertzen, has been reappointed by the Speaker of the Manitoba Legislature to serve on the Midwest-Canada Relations Committee for the 2013-2014 year.
The Midwest-Canada Relations Committee is made up of provincial MLAs and United States Congressmen and Senators from mid-west provinces and states. The committee works on issues of joint concern between Canada and the U.S.
“Over the past couple of years that I have been on the committee much of the focus has been on border security issues and trade barrier issues,” said Goertzen. “Those are important issues and work will continue on those but more recently the discussion has been on issues around energy policy and our shared interests between nations.”
Goertzen noted that the committee has worked with elected officials from mid-west states, including Nebraska where opposition is the strongest, to support the Keystone XL pipeline and a decision is expected from the U.S. State Department later this year. As well, the committee has worked with U.S. legislators who have wanted to learn more about the Alberta oil-sands.
Goertzen notes that the relationship between Canada and the United States in terms of energy is important but changing.
“More than 2.5 million barrels of Canadian crude oil are exported to the U.S. everyday, much of it to Illinois. What is changing is that the United States foreign demand for natural gas is declining because of their domestic shale gas production, and that has an impact on prices for energy, including hydro-electricity. So as things change we discuss how best to respond to that change and those things have an impact on Manitoba,” said Goertzen.
Goertzen said the Mid-west Canada Relations Committee is scheduled to meet next in July in St. Paul, Minnesota.
