Report

DELEGATION MEMBERS AND STAFF

From 26–28 May 2016, Mrs. Karen Ludwig, M.P., member of the Canada–United States Inter-Parliamentary Group (IPG) attended the 9^th annual conference of the Southeastern United States–Canadian Provinces (SEUS–CP) Alliance in Nashville, Tennessee.

THE EVENT

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 seven Canadian provinces – Manitoba, 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.

The delegations, which are often led by state governors and provincial premiers, include business and industry leaders. At the ninth annual meeting, the state and provincial delegations were led by the following individuals:

• Alabama: Ed Castile, Deputy Secretary of Commerce;
• Georgia: Casey Cagle, Lieutenant Governor;
• Manitoba: Rod Higgins, Manitoba Trade and Investment;
• Mississippi: Malcolm White, Visit Mississippi;
• New Brunswick: Brian Gallant, Premier;
• Newfoundland and Labrador: Steve Kent, Deputy Premier;
• North Carolina: John Loyack, Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina;
• Nova Scotia: Stephen McNeil, Premier;
• Ontario: Monte Kwinter, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and International Trade;
• Prince Edward Island: Wade MacLauchlan, Premier;
• Quebec: Jacques Daoust, Minister of the Economy, Innovation and Exports;
• South Carolina: Henry McMaster, Lieutenant Governor; and
• Tennessee: Randy Boyd, Department of Economics and Community Development.

The 10^th annual meeting of the SEUS-CP Alliance will be held in June 2017.

DELEGATION OBJECTIVES FOR THE EVENT

This conference was the seventh occasion on which members of the IPG’s Canadian Section have attended an annual meeting of the SEUS-CP Alliance. In some sense, the SEUS-CP Alliance is the eastern counterpart to the Pacific NorthWest Economic Region and the Council of the Great Lakes Region, but with leadership and participation by U.S. governors and Canadian premiers, as well as significant private-sector involvement.

The IPG’s Canadian Section continues to note the practical nature of the SEUS-CP Alliance’s conference, and intends to attend future annual meetings in order to continue its work in advocating Canadian interests, particularly with U.S. governors and senior members of the executive branch.

ACTIVITIES DURING THE EVENT

Plenary Session – Opening Ceremonies

• Each Delegation updated the audience with relevant economic data for their state and trade relationship with Canada/USA

Panel 1:  Healthcare & Interoperability

Panelists:
Alisa Chestler, Baker Donelson, Moderator
Ed Cantwell, Executive Director, Center of Interoperability
Eric Demers, President & CEO, Accreon
Steve Marquis, Regional Director of Architecture (Atlantic), Canada Health Infoway

• Panelists focused on challenges providers and companies face in the design of a health system that is interoperable
• Discussion centred on what interoperability means to health care and why it is so crucial to the next level of providing safe and effective health care.

Panel II:  Medical Device: Pain Management

Panelists:
Sarah Candler, Manager of the Device Licensing Services Division, Medical Devices Bureau, Health Canada, Moderator
Shyam Parekh, Senior Vice President, Business Development, Halyard Health
Thomas Ferro, Chief Commercial Officer, Global, Emovi, Inc.
Crystal Trevors, President and CEO of ViTRAK Systems Inc.

• Panelists provided an overview of the challenges and opportunities in global health solutions using disruptive technologies
• Panelists discussed the challenges of privacy legislation and international laws with regards to electronic data sharing
• The US$34 billion medical device industry is experiencing disruptive change.
• Panelists discussed how we might facilitate ideas, information and knowledge around these challenges and opportunities from pain management, a major area of concern in the provision of effective healthcare, to other patient-centered technologies.

Panel III: Transportation & Logistics

Panelists:
William KEITH Kahl, Technical Manager, Sustainable Transportation Program, National Transportation Research Center, Oak Ridge National Lab
Mike Hale, Vice President, Business development, C.A.T. Global Inc
John Costanzo, President, Purolator International, Inc.

• Panelists addressed the challenges associated with the rapid increase in the volume of global production and trade.
• Challenges included: supply chain management, traffic congestion, highway safety, use of technologies.
• Other challenges include insufficient supply of new truck drivers.

Panel IV:  Entertainment:  Intellectual Property and Public Relations

Panelists:
Derek Crownover, Dickinson Wright
Matt Watkins, VP of Marketing and Operations, Aristo Media
Bart Herbison, Executive Director, Nashville Songwriters Association International
Rob Oakie, Executive Director, Music Prince Edward Island
Dan Rubin, Managing Director, Second Stage Creative Arts, Pouch Cove Newfoundland

• Panelists addressed the challenges for songwriters and composers. 
• There is ongoing advocacy to protect the rights of songwriters in all genres of music including copyrights and royalties.

Respectfully submitted,