Visit to Canada of His Excellency Dag Terje Andersen, President of the Parliament of the Kingdom of Norway (Stortinget), and a Parliamentary Delegation

From March 4 to 9, 2012, His Excellency Dag Terje Andersen, President of the Parliament of the Kingdom of Norway, led a parliamentary delegation to Ottawa, Victoria and Vancouver at the invitation of the Honourable Andrew Scheer, Speaker of the House of Commons. The delegation was composed of Mr. Per Sandberg, Deputy Parliamentary Leader and Chairman of the Standing Committee on Justice, Ms. Borghild Tenden, Deputy Parliamentary Leader and Member of the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs, Ms. Siri A. Meling, First Vice-Chair of the Standing Committee on Energy and the Environment, Ms. Anne Tingelstad Wøien, Deputy Parliamentary Leader and Member of the Standing Committee on Education, Research and Church Affairs, and Member of the Credentials Committee, Ms. Ingalill Olsen, Second Vice-Chair of the Standing Committee on Local Government and Public Administration, Mr. Geir Jørgen Bekkevold, Member of the Standing Committee on Local Government and Public Administration, and Ms. Marianne Balto, Member of the Saami Parliament and Member of the Parliament Council. The delegation was accompanied by Mr. Bjørnar Dahl Hotvedt, Advisor, and Ms. Laila Høge, Senior Executive Officer, both from the International Secretariat of the Storting, and by Ms. Liss-Ellen Ramstad, Advisor at the Saami Parliament of Norway. Her Excellency Else Berit Eikeland, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Norway to Canada, and Mr. Tobias F. Svenningsen, Minister Counsellor and Deputy Head of Mission at the Royal Norwegian Embassy to Canada, were also present.

The delegates had the opportunity to attend various meetings in Ottawa, Victoria and Vancouver.

In Ottawa, the delegation met with:

• The Honourable Andrew Scheer, Speaker of the House of Commons;
• Mr. Rick Dykstra, M.P., Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration;
• The Honourable Percy Mockler, Chair of the Standing Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry;
• The Honourable Keith Ashfield, P.C., M.P., Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and Minister for the Atlantic Gateway;
• Members of the Standing Senate Committee on Aboriginal Peoples;
• Members of the Executive Committee of the Canadian Group of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU);
• Ms. Mary Simon, President of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami; and
• The Honourable Ed Fast, P.C., M.P., Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Asia Pacific Gateway.

In Victoria, the delegation toured the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia and met with the Speaker, the Honourable Bill Barisoff, M.L.A., as well as Mr. John Les, Parliamentary Secretary to the Premier. They also held meetings with members of the Select Standing Committee on Public Accounts, Finance and Government Services, the Honourable Don McRae, M.L.A., Minister of Agriculture, and the Honourable Harry Bloy, M.L.A., Minister of State for Multiculturalism. In addition, they had the opportunity to tour the Royal British Columbia Museum.

Delegates then travelled to Campbell River for a short stay where they enjoyed a private program.

In Vancouver, the Norwegian delegation met with Mr. Peter Robinson, Chief Executive Officer of the David Suzuki Foundation. They also met with Ms. Andrea Reimer, Deputy Mayor of the city of Vancouver and participated in the commemoration of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination at Vancouver City Hall.

The visit to Canada served to strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries and provided an opportunity to meet with various Canadian stakeholders and discuss questions relating to fisheries, first nations, trade, sustainable environment and multiculturalism.