Readout from meeting between Minister Joe Oliver and Mayor Rahm Emanuel

CHICAGO — The Honourable Joe Oliver, Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources, today issued this statement following his meeting with the Mayor of Chicago, Rahm Emanuel:

“This afternoon, I met with the Mayor of Chicago, Rahm Emanuel.

“We had an excellent discussion, where I highlighted Canada’s leadership advancing our shared interests in enhancing environmental protection and energy security to support jobs, economic growth and our long-term prosperity.

“Canada will continue to be the leading, most secure, reliable and competitive energy supplier to the United States, and this relationship has positive benefits for Chicago and the State of Illinois.

“Canada currently sends 820,100 barrels per day to refineries in Illinois which means that an average of 83 percent of oil produced in Illinois is from Canadian crude.

“The Canadian Energy Research Institute projects that the development of new oil sands projects will create more jobs in Illinois than any other state -- 570,000 person years of employment in the state over the next 25 years in various sectors, including construction and manufacturing.

“I discussed Canada having aligned its goals on greenhouse gases with the United States, committing to a 17 percent reduction below 2005 levels by 2020. Projections show we are already half way towards meeting our target.

“The approval of the Keystone XL project would replace oil from Venezuela and the Middle East with a stable supply, and improve the energy security of North America.

“Regardless of the outcome, we will continue our efforts to diversify the markets for our energy exports, including pipelines to the east and west coasts if they pass independent safety reviews.

“The Harper Government’s focus is jobs, economic growth and long-term prosperity. By working together, we will succeed in helping both of our countries reach their full potential while building on our strong stewardship of the environment.”