Smith attending Trump inauguration, promotes “increasing pipeline capacity” 

Following Donald Trump’s election win, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is planning to travel to Washington D.C. for the inauguration, where she will watch the swearing of the 47th US President from the Canadian Embassy.

Premier Smith says she’s looking to do more business with Canada’s biggest trading partner, and in particular, “increase pipeline capacity.”

The Premier released a statement on social media on Thursday, and one that directly mentioned the President-elect, where she announced that Alberta has become the first non-US state to enter the Governors Coalition for Energy Security. 

“Alberta plays a vital role in North American energy security, serving as the largest supplier of crude oil and natural gas to the United States,” Smith said. 

The UCP leader went on to promote Alberta’s oil, natural gas, and carbon capture capacity.

“Alberta’s contribution is set to grow even further as we look to work with the @realDonaldTrump Administration and other U.S. partners to increase our pipeline capacity to our greatest friend and ally, the United States,” she added. 

While it’s unclear if this intention includes reopening the Keystone XL pipeline, the Premier’s office told The Counter Signal, “We will absolutely talk about how we can strengthen energy security by increasing pipeline capacity to US refineries.”

Construction of the Keystone XL pipeline, which would have provided crude oil from Alberta to refineries in the Gulf Coast of the United States, was shut down after the Biden administration quashed their permit in January 2021 as one of their first orders of business. 

The pipeline would have had the capacity to move up to 830,000 barrels of oil daily across 1,947 kilometers from Hardisty in Alberta to Steele City in Nebraska.

Following the first of two recent assassination attempts on President Trump, Premier Smith urged far-left politicians to moderate their rhetoric, after years of politicians and media calling him a “dictator,” “Hitler,” and a “threat to democracy.”