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Canadian Section of the Canada-U.S. Inter-Parliamentary Group Meets with Western U.S. Governors and B.C. Premier From June 29-July 1, 2011, Mr. Gord Brown, M.P., Co-Chair of the Canada-United States Inter-Parliamentary Group (IPG) represented the Canadian Section of the IPG at the 2011 annual meeting of the Western Governors’ Association (WGA) in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Eight U.S. Governors and the Premier of British Columbia attended the meeting, as did Canada’s Ambassador to the United States. Mr. Brown stated: "I was very happy to attend the WGA meeting, and to talk to Governors from this important region. Canada and the 19 states represented in the WGA share a mutually beneficial relationship. According to recent figures, more than 2.7 million jobs in those states rely on Canada-U.S. trade. Bilateral merchandise trade was recently valued at almost US$103 billion: about US$39.2 billion was exported from the 19 states to Canada, while they imported more than US$63.8 billion from Canada. We also visit each other frequently. Recent data suggest that, in a twelve-month period, Canadians made more than 8.6 million visits to the WGA states and spent almost US$4.6 billion, while residents of the WGA states made more than 3.5 million visits to Canada and spent more than US$1.8 billion." “The sessions were very informative, with presentations made on such topics as leadership, educational and career opportunities for veterans, the health of forests, energy efficiency and the development of transmission for electricity. Certainly, Canada and the United States have shared concerns in these and other areas, and we should look for opportunities to share best practices,” concluded Mr. Brown. The Western Governors’ Association includes the Governors from 19 western states as well as from American Samoa, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. The Canadian Premiers from British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba also participate in the WGA’s activities. The WGA uses six basic strategies: develop and communicate regional policy; serve as a leadership forum; build regional capacity; conduct research and disseminate findings; form coalitions and partnerships in order to advance regional interests; and build public understanding and support for regional issues and policy positions. More information on the WGA can be found at www.westgov.org. It should be noted that the views expressed in this news release are specific to the Canadian Section of the Canada-United States Inter-Parliamentary Group and, as such, may not reflect the views of our United States counterparts. The Canada-United States Inter-Parliamentary Group aims to find points of convergence in respective national policies, to initiate dialogue on points of divergence, to encourage the exchange of information, and to promote better understanding among legislators on shared issues of concern. Additional information on the Group can be found at www.parl.gc.ca/iia/us. -30- For further information: Canada-US
Inter-Parliamentary Group - 613-943-1430 Canada-US
Inter-Parliamentary Group - 613-992-8756 Canada-US Inter-Parliamentary Group - 613-944-4238
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