HOUSTON — It may not match an invitation from King Charles III.
But Alberta Energy Minister Brian Jean is convinced US president Donald Trump would do well to come up to Alberta to tour Fort McMurray as his personal guest and fishing guide.
In addition to seeing first hand how Alberta has transformed itself into the largest supplier of oil to the Lower 48 — and fifth-largest in the world — Jean says he’ll take The Donald fishing to his favourite spots.
“We would love to have Donald Trump or any other serious contender come up to Alberta and invest in the lithium, in the oil, in the gas,” Jean said on the sidelines of the CERAWeek by S&P Global conference in Houston.
The only drawback is that the US boss doesn’t like to fish.
Although Trump’s son, Eric and Donald Jr., are avid sportsmen their father doesn’t share their enthusiasm for the hunt — of wild animals, at least. And that extends to fish.
“Whenever my sons go fishing, they always tell me, 'Dad, it doesn't hurt a fish to get hooked.' Well, I watch and I see and I believe it's painful for the fish," Trump said on his syndicated radio show Trumped, in the early 2000s.
Nontheless, Jean was on hand with Saskatchewan’s Scott Moe to open the Canada House exhibit at CERAWeek and mount a charm offensive against US tariffs — not just on oil but on the entire country.
And Jean said they key to getting along with Trump is establishing the kinds of personal relationships built on respect and trust that former prime minister Justin Trudeau was unable or unwilling to do.
“We have so many opportunities, and there's no better place to invest in the world than Alberta. I'd love to show them around the wilderness. I’ll take him fishing as well,” he continued. “In fact, the largest lake trout ever caught was 104 pounds in Lake Athabasca.”
Developing those personal relationships will take a reset in thinking in Ottawa that the current prime minister designate, Mark Carney is unlikely to provide, Jean said.
Carney’s positions on climate, carbon taxes and emissions caps are well known. And they don’t fly in Alberta, or in Houston where the world’s biggest oil executives are gathering this week.
“The proof is in the pudding. We'll see what happens over the next few months as he remains prime minister and after that,” Jean said. “In my mind, (we need) a Pierre Poilievre government, a Conservative government that will actually move the needle in a real way.”
Jean said he had the opportunity to work alongside Poilievre in the Stephen Harper government and described him as a credible alternative to dealing with the likes of Trump.
“I had an opportunity to work with Pierre for 10 years. He's a very solid individual. He's a great politician, but more than that, he's a great person that actually believes in Canada, and I think can do amazing things with a with a group around him to make the changes necessary,” Jean said.
“The first thing is, it's a much easier scenario to get along with a friend than it is to get along with somebody that makes fun of you or or pokes at you, and I think that's the situation right now with the last prime minister we had (Trudeau).”
