Christie heads to Canada to promote Keystone

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) traveled to Calgary, Canada, Thursday to criticize United States policymakers for their failure to approve the Keystone XL oil pipeline.

Speaking with Alberta Premier Jim Prentice, Christie said the regulatory approval process for Keystone has “gone way overboard,” the Calgary Herald reported.

“Canada has been an afterthought. I believe it should be a first thought,” Christie said.

He blamed President Obama for failing to approve the pipeline more than six years after TransCanada Corp. applied for the cross-border permit necessary to build it. It would connect the oil sands of Alberta to refineries on the United States Gulf Coast.

Christie further said that major policy decisions like Keystone should not be made based upon the oil price of the day, mirroring Prentice’s comments that the current low oil prices should not reduce the need for Keystone.

The New Jersey governor, a likely 2016 GOP presidential contender, spoke privately with the Calgary Chamber of Commerce after meeting with Prentice, the Herald said.

He will travel to Ottawa on Friday to meet with Prime Minister Stephen Harper.