OTTAWA – Barack Obama’s new envoy to Ottawa says building a strong economy doesn’t have to come at the expense of protecting the environment.
“Today you can be pro-economy and pro-energy and considerate of the environment,” Bruce Heyman, the former Chicago investment banker and major Democratic Party fundraiser, said Tuesday as he became the new U.S. ambassador to Canada.
Heyman formally took up his post, vacant for nine months, after presenting his credentials to Gov. Gen. David Johnston at Rideau Hall. He then headed to a meeting with Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
“Our Government looks forward to building on the strong economic relationship with the Obama Administration,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement. “We are committed to advancing shared priorities with Ambassador Heyman, including increasing trade, creating jobs and enhancing the security of our residents on both sides of the border.”
Heyman will undoubtedly have to confront the Harper government’s pressure on the Obama administration to approve the Keystone XL pipeline, which would carry Alberta oilsands crude to the southern United States.
The new ambassador had nothing new to offer in terms of when Keystone XL might be approved, but he weighed in broadly on the environment, energy and the economy while speaking to reporters at Rideau Hall.
“We have to work together to accomplish a strong economy but we have to work together to protect the environment,” he said.
Two months ago in Mexico, President Barack Obama used the podium of the Three Amigos summit to push Harper to work with him on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Obama gave Harper a primer on reducing greenhouse gases after he was asked why he’s failed to greenlight Keystone XL. The president stressed that the science that supports climate change cannot be denied.
Heyman’s predecessor, David Jacobson, has said that Obama’s tough talk on moving more aggressively against climate change was meant as much for Canada as it was for the United States.
Heyman said there was no linkage between Canada’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gases and the ultimate approval of the pipeline. But he added: “Global warming is real and we all have to be cognizant that it is real and we’re all affected by it.”
He added it’s the responsibility of the developed world “in particular” to take responsibility for climate.
“The United States looks forward to working with the Canadian government and working on these issues, and I look forward to having the discussions with all members of the Canadian government because we take it seriously.”
Heyman, a former managing director at Goldman Sachs, replaced Jacobson, who bid Ottawa farewell shortly after hosting his final July 4 party last summer.
“You know good things come to those that wait,” Heyman quipped as he shook hands with Johnston after the ceremony.
Fen Hampson, an expert in Canada-U.S. relations at the Centre for International Governance Innovation in Waterloo, said that even though Obama and the Democrats may be beholden to anti-Keystone interests, the recent Russian incursion into the Crimean Peninsula has changed the state of play around energy security.
“In light of Ukraine, (and) instability in the markets, the energy security card got a bit stronger,” said Hampson.
The Harper government has used the energy security argument — that Canada is a safe source of energy in a dangerous world — to counter the criticism of vocal environmentalists in the U.S. who have branded oilsands bitumen as “dirty oil” that contributes significantly to global greenhouse gas emissions.
Some observers say the long delay reflects Obama’s indifference towards Canada. However, the job was vacant for 18 months under former president Bill Clinton in the 1990s.
The delay in confirming Heyman’s appointment drew criticism last month from the Canadian American Business Council, which called it counterproductive to relations between Canada and the U.S. The two countries have the world’s largest two-way trading relationship.
Partisan gridlock in the U.S. Senate was largely to blame for Heyman’s delayed appointment after he had a relatively smooth confirmation hearing.
U.S. officials characterized Heyman as chomping at the bit to be able to begin a dialogue with Canadians, but they stressed that proper protocols had to be followed. Once he formally met the governor-general, he was considered free to speak his mind.
“I have a message, and it’s a message from the American people to all Canadians,” Heyman said off the top of his first availability with Canadian journalists. “Thank you.”
Heyman locked his eyes directly on a pool television camera, and went on to list the reasons why Americans are so thankful to have Canadians as their neighbour, friend and ally.
“It’s sometimes difficult to be a friend, and we are deeply appreciative of Canada always being there with us,” he said.
“We’ve been in the battlefields together, shoulder to shoulder and we’re very appreciative of that. But we’re also arm-in-arm diplomatically every day, doing things around the world, fighting for the ideals and the democracy beliefs that we have.”
Hampson said Heyman’s effectiveness as an envoy will be limited because he serves a “lame duck” president.
“That could change depending on the outcome of the congressional elections, but if Obama loses the Senate and Republicans dominate both houses of Congress, then we will see a truly hobbled presidency,” said Hampson.
Republicans, not Democrats, are more closely aligned with the Harper government’s priorities, particularly the Keystone pipeline, he added.
Follow Mike Blanchfield on Twitter at @mblanchfield
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