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Canadian Section of Canada-US Inter-Parliamentary Group Attends Meeting of Governors and Meets with Congressional Counterparts From February 20-22, 2010, members of the Canadian Section of the Canada-US Inter-Parliamentary Group (see Appendix A) attended the Winter Meeting of the National Governors Association (NGA) in Washington, D.C., where they spoke with Governors from all regions of the United States as well as with a number of Canadian Premiers. From February 23-25, members of the Group (see Appendix B) met with more than 15 members of the US Senate and about 45 members of the House of Representatives (see Appendix C). Senator Wilfred Moore, Acting Co-Chair of the Group, said: “We always find the meetings of the National Governors Association to be both enlightening and an unparalleled opportunity to speak with Governors about state-level issues that involve Canada. At this particular meeting, we were particularly pleased that the Governors held an historic meeting with a number of Canadian Premiers. It was a wonderful opportunity for them to talk about issues of common concern and common cause, including enhanced economic growth, trade, border security, energy and the environment. This worthwhile exchange should become a regular feature of the NGA’s summer and winter meetings.” As always, the meetings that we had with our Congressional counterparts were also insightful, and provided an opportunity for a candid exchange of views about bilateral issues. During our meetings, we focused on such issues as the harm caused by protectionism, the importance of free and fair trade to the prosperity of both nations, and Canada’s role as a safe and secure supplier of energy to the US, among other issues,” continued Gord Brown, M.P., Co-Chair of the Group. “We look forward to continuing our discussion of these and other issues when we meet with US Senators and members of the House of Representatives at the Group’s 51st annual meeting in May.” The NGA is the collective voice of US governors from the 50 states, three territories and two commonwealths. It is a public policy organization that represents the governors on Capitol Hill and before the US Administration on federal issues that affect them, and that develops and implements solutions to public policy challenges. 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 http://www.parl.gc.ca/iia/Association.aspx?Lang=E&DCId=4&DTId=6&P=overview&ORGId=1383. -30- For further information:
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