March 11 (UPI) — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau affirmed his country’s energy commitment to the United States during a speech in Houston.
During the speech, made to the CERAWeek conference, Trudeau also stated his opposition to the U.S. border adjustment tax proposed by President Donald Trump. The Canadian leader says the burden would hurt both economies involved.
“Recognizing, of course, how much the Canadian economy depends on close collaboration and integration with the American economy, anything that creates impediments at the border — extra tariffs or new taxes — is something we’re concerned with,” Trudeau said.
The Toronto Sun reports the speech marked the first time a Canadian prime minister delivered a keynote address to the annual CERAWeek conference, a gathering of international energy industry leaders, experts and government officials.
In addition to stating his opposition to new energy trade barriers, Trudeau also outlined his Liberal party’s plan to boost Canada’s energy assets. The prime minister laid out his agenda while taking aim at his predecessor Stephen Harper.
“Our immediate predecessors tried a different route for 10 years, to ignore the environment,” Trudeau said. “It didn’t work, any more than the NEP of the 1980s worked. They couldn’t move forward on big energy projects.”
The prime minister received a standing ovation at the conclusion of his speech, which CBC.ca reports is unusual for the Houston conference. Approximately 1,200 people attended the event.
