NEWS RELEASE

CANADIAN PARLIAMENTARIANS MEET WITH STATE LEGISLATORS
FROM THE U.S. WEST

From 16–20 July 2019, Senator Michael L. MacDonald and the Honourable Wayne Easter, P.C., M.P., Co-Chairs of the Canadian Section of the Canada–United States Inter-Parliamentary Group (IPG), led a delegation to the 72^nd annual meeting of the Council of State Governments - West (CSG West) in Big Sky, Montana. The other members of the delegation were Senators Martha Deacon, Kim Pate and David Richards.

“Our delegation was once again pleased to attend CSG West’s annual meeting,” said Mr. Easter. “Meeting with state legislators gives IPG members the opportunity to discuss regionally specific cross-border proposals and concerns. I was honoured to be able to present as a panelist for the North America Summit on Canadian workforce development initiatives, highlighting many of the programs designed to provide Canadians with the skills they need to succeed in a changing economy.”

Senator MacDonald concluded: “Canada and the United States have a long shared history of being allies and partners, and we need to work together at all levels of government to advance our mutual interests. CSG West’s annual meeting facilitates this collaboration and provides our delegates with opportunities to further the IPG’s objectives. Once again, our delegation found the sessions engaging and informative, as they allow legislators to build consensus on issues of importance to Canadians and Americans.”

CSG West comprises the United States’ 13 western states, while. British Columbia and Alberta are associate members. Additional information on CSG West can be found at www.csgwest.org.

The views expressed in this news release are specific to the Canadian Section of the Canada–United States IPG. For this reason, they may not reflect the views of U.S. counterparts.

The Canada–United States IPG 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 IPG can be found at www.parl.gc.ca/iia/us.

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For further information:

Hon. Michael L. MacDonald, Senator, Co-Chair
Canada–U.S. Inter-Parliamentary Group - 613-995-1866

Hon. Wayne Easter, P.C., M.P., Co-Chair
Canada–U.S. Inter-Parliamentary Group - 613-992-2406

Ms. Miriam Burke, Association Secretary
Canada–U.S. Inter-Parliamentary Group - 613-944-4238