This HuffPost Canada page is maintained as part of an online archive.

Barack Obama's Re-Election And Canada: HuffPost Canada Editors Talk Keystone XL, The Fiscal Cliff And More

HuffPost Talks: What Does Obama's Re-Election Mean For Canada?

What does Barack Obama's re-election mean for Canada? We asked a collection of HuffPost Canada's editors and what another four years of an Obama White House could mean for the Keystone XL Pipeline, why Canada has to keep an eye out for the U.S. fiscal cliff and wonder whether the United States is becoming more left-wing.

The Keystone XL Pipeline and oil sands development is probably the single biggest issue in the U.S.-Canada relationship. Earlier this year, the U.S. government denied TransCanada a permit for the Alberta to Texas pipeline.

HuffPost Canada's Ottawa bureau chief Althia Raj thinks that the Obama administration will likely re-open the debate around Keystone and look to have a new plan in place for the controversial pipeline.

"Everybody in Ottawa expects Barack Obama to approve that. The route may change but that pipeline will still happen. If it doesn't happen then that would be a major shock and a signal that the [U.S.-Canada] relationship is a lot colder than they thought," Raj said.

HuffPost Alberta editor Pablo Fernandez agrees with Raj. "[Obama] had to pick his battles. It wasn't a battle he was willing to take on right now, but at the end of the day Energy security is a big issue. They need the oil as much as we need to get it to them."

"Everybody is saying probably within the year they'll reach the fine balance where everybody is happy and the pipeline is going to go through," he added.

Business Editor Daniel Tencer pointed out that the upcoming fiscal cliff and debt ceiling talks in Washington, D.C. will also be a big concern for Canada's economy. President Obama will have the tough task of hammering out an economic package of cuts and tax hikes with House Republicans or subject the U.S. to an economic body blow that the country can't afford.

"The latest estimates are that if the fiscal cliff happens, if they fall off it, 3% of GDP gets shaved off, they go back into recession and Canada just narrowly avoids one," he said.

Finally, the team talks about how one of the recipes for Democratic success last night mirrors a trend that's been going on in Canada for some time.

"The Democrats have been really good at getting support from new voters, new communities of voters," Raj said.

"When we look at new immigrant communities in Canada it's not the left-wing parties that have made the biggest in-roads, it's the Conservatives," she added.

Watch the full video above. And tell us what you think. What does Barack Obama's re-election mean for Canada?

Also on HuffPost

Barack Obama's Victory

Close
This HuffPost Canada page is maintained as part of an online archive. If you have questions or concerns, please check our FAQ or contact support@huffpost.com.