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Canadian Parliamentarians attend the National Meeting of US State Legislators. From July 25-28 2010, Mr. Brian Masse, M.P., Vice-Chair of the Canada-US Inter-Parliamentary Group (IPG), led a delegation to the annual legislative summit of the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) in Louisville, Kentucky. Other members of the delegation were the Honourable Senator Jim Munson, Mr. Dean Del Mastro, M.P. and Mr. Mervin Tweed, M.P. “As is the case each year, the NCSL meeting was a valuable opportunity for us to meet with state legislators,” said Mr. Masse. “While we benefitted from discussions with legislators from all parts of the United States, we were particularly pleased to be able to speak with Georgia State Senator Don Balfour, the outgoing NCSL President, and with Massachusetts State Senator Richard Moore, who will serve as President for the coming year. Members of the delegation spoke with them about the bilateral relationship and mentioned that the IPG would welcome opportunities for greater participation at future NCSL meetings. We also met informally with the North Dakota and Michigan delegations. In the latter case, discussions about the importance of adequate infrastructure at the Detroit-Windsor crossing for bilateral trade and the prosperity of both nations were timely.” Mr. Masse concluded: “Throughout the legislative summit, we learned about what is happening in the US in a number of important areas, some of which are also critical issues for Canada. For example, the sessions on energy, the environment, agriculture, rural communities, financial services, the fiscal situation of the federal and state governments, small businesses, job creation, education and health, among many others, provided us with great insights and ideas that could have applicability for Canada.” The National Conference of State Legislatures is a bipartisan organization serving the legislators and legislative staff of the 50 US states as well as its commonwealths and territories. With its 11 standing committees comprised of legislators and legislative staff, the NCSL provides research, technical assistance and a venue for the exchange of ideas on state issues. Information on the NCSL can be found at www.ncsl.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 US Congressional 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:
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