Nebraska governor encourages Trump to not 'disrupt' relationship with Canada

Nebraska Gov. PeteRicketts, the first member of the billionaire baseball family to publicly supportDonald Trump's campaign for the presidency, says he's telling the U.S. administration to not ruin the trading relationship many states like his have with Canada.

With the start of NAFTA negotiations just days away, Ricketts said trade and his state's beef industry are top topics whenever he talks to the president.

"I've talked to the administration. I've encouraged them to make sure we don't disrupt that great relationship," Ricketts told Chris Hall, host of CBC Radio's The House.

"You've got a lot of really smart people in that administration. We've communicated with them the importance of [the relationship] and I think they are going to do the right thing."

• Liberals to step up NAFTA charm offensive in Washington
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Rickettswas in Canada this week meeting with both government and business officials in Toronto and Ottawa.

Canada is Nebraska's largest export market, makingRicketts'svisit similar to when a restaurant chef greets a star table.

"One of the reasons why I'm here in Canada is to thank our best customers here and let them know we appreciate the relationship and we're not taking it for granted," he said.

Still hoping for Keystone XL

Prime Minister JustinTrudeauhas said Canada wants emissions reduction measures and efforts to shift to a low-carbon economy written into the newNAFTA, butRickettssaid the issue wasn't raised during his trip to Canada.

"The devil is always in the details," he said.

The Nebraska governor is still hoping for confirmation of the Keystone XL expansion, which would connect Hardisty, Alta., to Steele City, Neb., with 1,900 kilometres of pipeline.

"I'd much rather buy oil from our closest ally, from people who like us, rather than the Middle East where maybe that's not really the case," he said.

Thepipeline wasthe subject of apublic hearing inRicketts'shome state this past week.The Nebraska Public Service Commission must decide by Nov. 23 whether to approve or reject the project.

For his part, Ricketts dismisses former president BarackObama's view that there was no evidence Keystone XL would be a big jobs generator.

"We appreciate any new jobs," he quipped.

Complicated family history with Trump

Ricketts's family, majority owners of Major League Baseball's Chicago Cubs,have a complicated relationship with Trump.

Ricketts's father Joe, founder of TD Ameritrade,initially opposed Trump in the Republican primaries. At the time, Trump tweeted that the Ricketts family "better be careful, they have a lot to hide!"

"It means that I'll start spending on them. I'll start taking ads telling them all what a rotten job they're doing with the Chicago Cubs. I mean, they are spending [to buy ads] on me," Trump later clarified to the Washington Post in March, 2016 months before the team clinched the World Series.

The Wall Street Journal reported Rickettsdecided to back Trump once he secured the Republican nomination.

Ricketts's brother Todd was tapped to be Trump'sdeputy secretary of commerce, butlater withdrew from consideration.

NAFTA negotiationsget underway in Washington on Wednesday.