MEMBERS OF
THE CANADA–U.S. IPG ATTEND MEETING WITH
U.S. STATE LEGISLATORS
From 10–13 December 2015, two Vice-Chairs from the
Canadian Section of the Canada–United States Inter-Parliamentary Group –
Senator Michael L. MacDonald and Senator Wilfred Moore, Q.C. – led a delegation
to the annual national conference of the Council of State Governments (CSG) in
Nashville, Tennessee. The other members of the delegation were Senator Jane
Cordy and Senator Dan Lang.
“A great many of the sessions at the CSG’s annual
conference were very interesting and have relevance for both Canada and the
United States,” said Senator Moore. “The cybersecurity presentations were most
timely. I believe there’s an immediate need for state and provincial
governments, as well as our federal governments, to take actions to protect
data. They should have plans to detect any security breaches and to address any
data losses. Of course, these efforts require properly qualified staff and
adequate budgets. It’s my hope that governments in Canada and the United States
can work together in addressing cybersecurity issues.”
Senator MacDonald concluded: “I would add that the
presentations on the topic of economic development were also instructive, and
both Canada and the United States share goals in this area. The discussion of
‘the triple helix’ – the notion that governments, academia and the private
sector must work together regarding job creation – was especially notable.
Certainly, it is the private sector that creates jobs, governments that develop
regulations and implement policies that support job creation, and academia that
can help to identify a city’s or region’s competitive advantage and thereby
highlight the areas in which job creation might be most fruitful.”
The CSG serves all three branches of state
government and provides regional fora – the western, midwestern, southern and
eastern regional conferences – through which ideas and insights are exchanged
with a view to shaping public policy. Additional information on the CSG can be
found at: www.csg.org.
The views expressed in this news release are
specific to the Canadian Section of the Canada–United States
Inter-Parliamentary Group. As such, they may not reflect the views of U. S.
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.
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For further information:
Hon. Janis Johnson, Senator, Co-Chair
Canada–U.S. Inter-Parliamentary Group -
613-943-1430
Mr. Gord Brown, M.P., Co-Chair
Canada–U.S. Inter-Parliamentary Group -
613-992-8756
Ms. Miriam Burke, Association Secretary
Canada–U.S. Inter-Parliamentary
Group - 613-944-4238
