Liberal Party stands behind Keystone project

Interim Liberal leader Bob Rae confirmed that the party continues to stand behind the Keystone XL pipeline project.

Rae, who is on his final tour as leader, made the comments while in Saskatoon for a Liberal fundraiser Thursday.

“We've got to get our products to market here,” Rae said.

“We obviously need to continue to do a better job on the environment but that's no reason to come out against the pipeline.”

His comments come just one day after Premier Brad Wall said federal NDP leader Thomas Mulcair was not acting in Canada's best interest by opposing the oil pipeline project.

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Rae said he continues to have a good relationship with the premier and has been clear in the party's commitment to western resource development.

The $7 billion project would primarily carry bitumen from Alberta's oilsands to refineries along the U.S. Gulf Coast, but oil would also come from the Bakken formation, which Saskatchewan shares with North Dakota and Montana.

Wall said the pipeline project would increase Saskatchewan's oil revenue by $300 million.

“It's in our national interest to see that these resources are developed in a truly and deeply sustainable way,” Rae said. “I agree with the state department view that says that there's no net environmental effect of building the pipeline in the United States.”

After receiving the nod from Nebraska Gov. Dave, the pipeline's fate is now in the hands of the U.S. State Department and President Barack Obama.

Meanwhile, Rae's visit to Saskatoon marks the one month countdown to the federal Liberal leadership election.

He said he thinks he is leaving the party in better condition than when he first took up the post in May, 2011.

“It's been a great run and I've enjoyed it so much and it's good to see the party is so much better shape than we were two years ago,” he said “We had a divided party that was facing a lot of difficulty. Now we know what work we must continue to do and we have more than 100,000 people who are registered to vote [in the party elections].”

The leadership race is now down to seven candidates after Marc Garneau withdrew on Wednesday.

While Garneau stepped down because he believes front-runner Justin Trudeau's victory is a “fait accompli,” Rae said it is still anyone's race.

“I think the fact is that it's a very open race and if one candidate or another seems to be ahead, that's the way the race is,” he said.

A survey of 6,000 Liberal members and supporters last week showed Trudeau has 72 per cent of the vote and media outlets report he has drawn more than 150,000 supporters.

The liberal party's election committee also decided to extend the voter registration period until March 21, a move supported by Trudeau but opposed by many of the other candidates.

Liberal voters take to the polls April 14.

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