NEWS RELEASE

CANADIAN PARLIAMENTARIANS ATTEND 10^TH CONFERENCE OF THE SEUS-CP ALLIANCE

From 4–6 June 2017, Mr. Phil McColeman, M.P., Vice-Chair of the Canadian Section of the Canada–United States Inter-Parliamentary Group (IPG) led a delegation to the 10th Annual Conference of the Southeastern United States–Canadian Provinces (SEUS-CP) Alliance in Toronto, Ontario. The other members of the delegation were the Honourable Andrew Leslie, P.C., M.P. and Senators Jim Munson and Bob Runciman.

“I was very pleased to lead a delegation to this very important meeting of government officials and business representatives from both Canada and the United States,” said Mr. McColeman. “I was particularly happy to be doing so on the 10-year anniversary of the SEUS-CP Alliance. This group has accomplished a great deal in the last decade in advancing trade, investment and other economic ties between our countries, and I expect that it will continue to do so. The insightful presentations and moderated discussions, and hundreds of business-to-business – or B2B– meetings that occur at the SEUS-CP Alliance’s conferences are extremely useful to attendees. This year, for example, there was some discussion about the upcoming negotiations for a ‘modernized’ NAFTA.”

Mr. McColeman concluded: “As well, I know that I speak on behalf of all members of the delegation in saying that we were honoured to have the opportunity to speak with representatives of the delegations from five U.S. states: Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. As legislators, much of what we do is based on the relationships that we form. Our meetings with the representatives of these states provided us with a valuable opportunity to gain their insights about the relationship that their state has with Canada, and for us to share information about the nature and extent of the trade and other business ties that we share.”

The SEUS-CP Alliance is a trade- and investment-focused partnership among six southeastern U.S. states – Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee – and six Canadian provinces – New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island and Quebec. The group was established in 2007 to serve as a forum through which common interests in enhancing economic ties between the two regions could be advanced. Additional information can be found at: www.seuscp.com.

It should be noted that the views expressed in this news release are specific to the Canadian Section of the IPG. As such, they may not reflect the views of United States counterparts.

The 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