Canadian Parliamentarians meet with Governors from the
U.S. West
From June 9-12, 2012, Mr. Rick Dykstra, M.P.,
Vice-Chair led a delegation from the Canadian Section of the Canada-United States
Inter-Parliamentary Group (IPG) to the annual meeting of the Western Governors’
Association (WGA) in Cle Elum, Washington. The other delegate was Mr. Mike
Sullivan, M.P.
“I was pleased to have the opportunity to speak with
Governors from the United States western states. When I meet with U.S.
legislators, I am consistently struck by the opportunities that our two
countries have to work together – on economic, trade, energy and other issues –
for our joint benefit. According to recent figures, more than 2.7 million jobs
in the 19 U.S. states in the WGA rely on Canada-U.S. trade. Merchandise trade
was recently valued at about US$41.6 billion in exports from the 19 states to
Canada, and just under US$75 billion in imports by them from Canada. I was fortunate
to have an opportunity to meet Alberta Premier Redford, who was attending her
first WGA meeting. The presence of Canada’s premiers at the WGA meeting
illustrates how well our countries work together,” said Mr. Dykstra.
Mr. Sullivan concluded: “I too was happy to be able to
attend the meeting. The sessions were very interesting and – from a Canadian
perspective – the WGA’s activities over the next year may present opportunities
for Canada. Utah’s Governor Herbert is the incoming WGA chair, and his focus
for the year will be responsible energy development. During the meeting, the
discussions on energy included electricity transmission, reflecting a U.S.
priority on clean energy. Canada, of course, is the most stable and secure
supplier of energy – including electricity – to the United States, and we work
closely together on a range of energy issues. I also enjoyed the opportunity to
speak with Alberta Premier Redford and Manitoba Premier Selinger at the annual
meeting.”
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 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. Angela Crandall, Association Secretary
Canada-U.S. Inter-Parliamentary Group -
613-944-4238