On trip to Canada, Palin advocated for pipeline
WASHINGTON - On her only visit to Canada, Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska traveled to Whitehorse, the capital of neighboring Yukon territory, where she advocated for a proposed oil pipeline and discussed mutual border concerns, according to public reports.
On the day trip in June 2007, Palin met with Yukon Premier Dennis Fentie to discuss the possible benefits to Canada from a new pipeline that will tap Alaska's Prudhoe Bay oil reserves, and both pledged to lobby to ensure that new American passport regulations would not hamper trade and tourism between Alaska and the adjacent Yukon.
Since Republican presidential candidate John McCain selected her as his running mate last month, Palin's foreign policy experience has drawn scrutiny, especially her overseas travel. She received her first passport in 2006 and traveled to Germany and Kuwait in July 2007 to visit troops from the Alaska National Guard. Her aides had said she also traveled to Iraq and Ireland on that trip, but later acknowledged those legs consisted of a brief visit to a border crossing and a refueling stop, respectively. Canada is the only other foreign country she has visited on official duties. Campaign officials have declined to provide details of a personal trip she took to Mexico.
Situated on the Alaska Highway, about 150 miles north of Juneau, the state capital, Whitehorse, with roughly 22,000 residents, is home to about two-thirds of Yukon's population.
During her trip there, which campaign officials confirmed was her only visit to Canada, Palin spoke in favor of the oil pipeline, saying, "It's an important part of the United States' agenda on energy policy . . . and hopefully ultimately helping Canada at the same time," according to a June 20, 2007, article in the local Whitehorse Star.
On cross-border issues, Palin and Fentie expressed concern that new US rules requiring passports to travel into the United States from Canada would harm trade between Alaska and Yukon.
"Ultimately we need some flexibility there so there aren't the adverse impacts to trade and tourism between our two jurisdictions," Palin was quoted as saying after the meeting with Fentie. 