FY 2006 Voluntary Visitor Gerard Bourdeau

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 OTTAWA 003442

SIPDIS

STATE

SECSTATE FOR ECA/PE/V/F/A - MCAIN, RMARTIN, LWEBER;
WHA/PDA - JCARPENTER-ROCK; WHA/CAN - TBREESE
CALGARY FOR FIELD REP
AMCONSULS VANCOUVER, TORONTO and MONTREAL for PAO

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KPAO OEXC SCUL CA
SUBJECT: FY 2006 Voluntary Visitor Gerard Bourdeau


1. SUMMARY. Post proposes a ten-day funded Voluntary
Visitor program for Gerard (Gerry) Bourdeau, Deputy Minister
for International and Intergovernmental Affairs for the
Province of Alberta. The proposed project support MPP goals
of Secure and Stable Markets (energy security, environmental
protection) and Mutual Understanding. Proposed program
dates are January 9, 11, 16, 19, 23 or 25. Mr. Bourdeau has
full-country team approval. Justification and nomination
follow in EVDB format. Post appreciated the Voluntary
Visitor Program's consideration of this proposal. END
SUMMARY.


START FIXED-FORMAT TEXT (PLEASE DO NOT EDIT):
: The following data is in a fixed format which enables
: automated processing in Washington and should not be
: edited except by means of the Post-EVDB software.
EXPORT-SOURCE: POST-EVDB
VERSION: 3.0.7
POST-EMAIL: slw@pd.state.gov
TRANSMITTING-POST: PAS Ottawa
TRANSMITTING-POST-ID: 6540
EXPORT-TYPE: BIO DATA
START NOMINATION:
ECA-OFFICE: E/VFA
PROG-AGENCY-NAME:
POST-PROJ-ID: 369
ECA-PROJ-NO:
PROJ-NAME: Bourdeau, Gerard - VV
START MEMO PROJ-DESC:

END MEMO PROJ-DESC:
PROJ-TYPE: Individual
PROG-TYPE: Voluntary Visitor
FY: 2006
DEPART-POST: 01/08/2006
SESSION-DATE:
RETURN-POST: 01/18/2006
NO-OF-PART: 1
RANK-ORDER: 0
START MEMO POST-OBJ:

END MEMO POST-OBJ:
START MEMO POST-RCMD:

END MEMO POST-RCMD:
ECA-OFFICE-ID: 1029
PROG-AGENCY-ID:
PROJ-TYPE-ID: IND
PROG-TYPE-ID: 30
NOMINATING-POST-ID: 6540
FUNDING-CNTRY-ID: 179098
STATUS: N
ORIGINATOR: P
SUBJ-DISC: Economics (General)
START BIO:
PREFIX:
F-NAME: Gerard
M-NAME: Arthur
L-NAME: Bourdeau
SUFFIX:
POSITION-CODE: 120
PRINCIPAL?: Yes
M-ADDR1: 12th Floor Commerce Place
M-ADDR2: 10155 102 Avenue
M-ADDR3:
M-CITY: Edmonton,
M-STATE: Alberta
M-CNTRY: Canada
M-ZONE: T5J 4G8
M-ZIP:
M-PHONE: 780 427-6644
M-FAX: 780 423-6654
M-EMAIL: gerry.bourdeau@gov.ab.ca
M-CNTRY-ID: CA
M-ADDRTYPE:
GENDER: M
DOB: 06/22/1948
MAR-STAT:
BIRTH-CITY: Kingston, Ontario
BIRTH-CNTRY: Canada
CITIZ-CNTRY: Canada
RES-CNTRY: Canada
START MEMO POSITION:
Deputy Minister, International and Intergovernmental
Affairs, Province of Alberta, 2000-present
END MEMO POSITION:
START MEMO OTHER-POSITIONS:

END MEMO OTHER-POSITIONS:
START MEMO PREV-POSITIONS:
Managing Director, Alberta Public Affairs Bureau, 1994-2000
Executive Director, Communications Planning and Consulting
Division, Alberta Public Affairs Bureau, 1992-94
Senior Public Affairs Director, Alberta Public Affairs
Bureau, 1988-1992
Director of Communications, Alberta Labour Department, 1987-
88
Vice President and Director of Marketing and Sales, Cenergy,
Inc (Edmonton),1985-87
Manager of Communications and Marketing Services, Manager of
Public Relations, Chief of Media Relations, Export
Development Corporation, Ottawa, 1976-85
Reporter/Senior Editor, Canadian Press (Ottawa and Toronto),
1969-76

END MEMO PREV-POSITIONS:
START MEMO US-TRAVEL:
San Diego: 2 days, to attend Council of State Governments
meeting, Nov 2000;
Washington DC and New York: 2 days with Alberta premier,
June 2001;
Coeur d'Alene Idaho: 2 days for Western Governors'
Association/Western Premiers Meetings, August 2001;
Washington DC: 2 days with Alberta Intergovernmental Affairs
Minister, December 2001; Anchorage, Alaska: 3 day premier's
mission, June 2002;
Bozeman, Montana: 3 day Western Governor's Association
meetings, September 2003;
Washington, DC: 4 day mission with Alberta Intergovernmental
Affairs Minister, February 2005


END MEMO US-TRAVEL:
START MEMO OTHER-TRAVEL:
Belgium, France, Switzerland, London: Trade Policy meetings,
September/October 2000
Russia, Germany: Team Canada Trade Mission, February 2002
Tokyo and Sapporo, Japan: mission with Alberta
Intergovernmental Affairs Minister, March/April 2002;
England, Ukraine: Alberta Premier's Mission, May 2002
Mexico: Alberta Intergovernmental Affairs Mission,
March/April 2003
Geneva, London, Dresden(Germany): mission with Alberta
Intergovernmental Affairs Minister, May/June 2003
South Africa: Canada-South Africa Twinning project,
July/August 2003
India, China: Alberta Premier's Mission, January 2004

END MEMO OTHER-TRAVEL:
START MEMO EDUCATION:
no post-secondary degrees, but courses taken at Carleton
University (Journalism); York University (Marketing;
Strategic Planning; Advertising, Public Relations and
Promotional Planning); Wharton School of Business
(International Marketing); Banff Centre (International
Export Marketing and Planning); University of Waterloo
(Business Administration and Financial Planning)
END MEMO EDUCATION:
START MEMO MEMBERSHIPS:

END MEMO MEMBERSHIPS:
START MEMO PUBLICATIONS:
none
END MEMO PUBLICATIONS:
START MEMO SPEC-CONSID:
Dietary/Medical Conditions: diabetic
Smoker/Non-Smoker: non-smoker

END MEMO SPEC-CONSID:
FIRST-LANG: English
ENGL-READ: 5
ENGL-SPEAK: 5
ENGL-COMP: 5
START MEMO NOM-POST-OBJ:
PA Calgary and nominee Gerry Bourdeau have outlined goals
for his program as follows:
--to develop a better understanding of U.S. Government
(including federalism, the role of Congressional district
offices, the function of Congressional committees);
--the role of PACs, NGOs, and think tanks in advancing
issues and shaping policies, and the role of lobbyists (both
at the federal and state level);
--the relationship between cities, state governments, and
the federal government;
--opposition parties, and the growth and development of
grassroots parties (meetings both with the current
opposition in Congress, the Democrats, and with fringe
parties will provide insight into the two-party system and
the influence of those within and outside the major
parties);
--the role of religion in U.S. politics

END MEMO NOM-POST-OBJ:
START MEMO NOM-POST-RCMD:
Based on these goals and objectives, PA Calgary Rep, with
research and input from Intern David Dill, have developed
the following suggestions for appointments:
Washington:
--meetings with organization(s) that can provide an overview
of federalism; the relationship of states to the federal
government; state to state relations; Canada-U.S. relations
(recommend Council of State Governments, Chris Sands at the
Center for Strategic and International Studies at
Georgetown, the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced
International Studies/Johns Hopkins, David Biette at the
Woodrow Wilson Center's Canada Institute). As well Dr.
Robert Stacey, Dean of Government for Patrick Henry College,
has authored several books on federalism and English common
law and has expressed interest in meeting with the deputy
minister;
-- A lobbying firm: DM Bourdeau might be interested in
visiting Environmental Energy Lobbyists, as the Alberta
government has recently tried to clean up its image of being
soft on the environment.
--Department of State, for meetings with Canada desk
officers;
--The American Association of Political Consultants;
--Local think tank(s): the Brookings Institute, the Cato
Institute, Heritage, or the American Enterprise Institute
might be appropriate to give the DM insights into their
work;
--a meeting with the office of Sen. Conrad Burns of Montana.
We specifically request this meeting with Senator Burns, as
it is our sense that he is key to re-opening the dialogue
between these two neighbors. Topics to cover would
emphasize some of the positive aspects of the relationship,
and areas in which positive collaboration have taken root
(e.g. border security, energy, native issues, provincial-
state organizations such as the Montana-Alberta Bilateral
Advisory Council, water issues, and the CANAMEX-the trade
route from Alberta to Mexico). This purpose of this
appointment is to subtly break the ice and re-establish
important contact and dialogue between Alberta and Montana.
--Congressional committee meeting(s): DM Bourdeau has
requested the opportunity to sit in on a Congressional
Committee session (we suggest the Energy Committee is
particularly appropriate for a representative of the Alberta
government, although the Committee on Agriculture would also
be a good fit, assuming either of these is sitting at the
time of his visit). He would also like to take in a session
of the full House or Senate;
--visits to Congressional offices: since DM Bourdeau would
like to visit Austin and Sacramento following Washington, we
suggest meetings with senators or staffers from either Texas
or California would be appropriate.
--DM Bourdeau will no doubt make his own plans to drop in on
the Alberta office at the Canadian Embassy, so a separate
call on the Canadian Embassy is not necessary. Post will
coordinate timing for his Embassy call with program
officers.
Austin, Texas
--State Capitol: meetings with counterparts in
intergovernmental relations; sitting of the State
legislature (if in session)
--The Center for Public Policy in Austin: the center is an
all-encompassing think tank/NGO/lobbying firm that should
give the DM a better understanding of local politics;
--Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum, which is located
near the state capitol: A visit to the museum would give DM
Bourdeau a better understanding of the development of Texas
as a separate nation and then as a state;
-- The Baptist General Convention of Texas has an office a
few blocks from the capitol in Austin and would be
interested in meeting with Mr. Bourdeau to discuss the role
of religion in politics; POC is Suzii Paynter, director of
Public Policy for the Convention.
--A meeting with Phil Hardberger, San Antonio mayor: Mayor
Hardberger can give the DM a view of the workings of a city
government; as well, there may be other contacts in the city
as a result of the 2004 Trade and Technology Summit in
Calgary which representatives from San Antonio and Monterrey
attended.
DM Bourdeau has also asked to visit NASA in Houston; if an
"insider's tour" exists,
DM Bourdeau would enjoy such a program.
Sacramento
--State Capitol: meetings with counterparts in
intergovernmental relations; sitting of the State
legislature (if in session);
--A grassroots political organization, such as a 2006
legislative campaign in Sacramento.
--An ethnic minority group, such as the Sacramento Hispanic
Chamber of Commerce or one of the numerous Hispanic PACs
centered in Sacramento.
--American Family Association: Scott Lively, President of
the California chapter of this group, has offered to meet
with DM Bourdeau if the opportunity arises. Mr. Lively has
been instrumental in the founding of several conservative
and religious PACs and NGOs;
-- Green Party of California. While it may be a bit of a
fringe party, a visit to this group would give DM Bourdeau a
look at some of the exceptions to the two-party system in
the U.S.;
--Sacramento Town Council meeting: This would give the DM an
opportunity to see the relationship between city and state
governments.







END MEMO NOM-POST-RCMD:
START MEMO VIS-OBJ:

END MEMO VIS-OBJ:
START MEMO VIS-REC:

END MEMO VIS-REC:
NOMINATING-OFFICER: Betty Rice
START MEMO NOMINATING-JUSTIFICATION:
Gerry Bourdeau is the highest-ranking civil servant in the
office of International and Intergovernmental Affairs for
the Province of Alberta. As Deputy Minister (DM) in this
office, Bourdeau is responsible for managing the important
associations Alberta cultivates with other provinces,
states, and federal governments around the world.
The province of Alberta has the fastest growing economy in
Canada, fueled by a booming oil and gas sector. And the
United States depends on this flourishing industry. Alberta
is the energy capital of Canada, which supplies more than
15% of crude oil and 16% of natural gas to the U.S. As
well, the development of the Athabasca Oil Sands (currently
producing one million barrels of crude oil every day, the
lion's share of which goes to the U.S.) will yield a sharp
increase in the amount of oil Alberta produces in the near
future, strengthening the province's position as the main
producer of these important resources. In a time when
energy security is of critical concern, it is important to
encourage and nurture the relationship between Alberta and
the United States.
From the northern perspective, no relationship is more
important to Alberta than the one it shares with the United
States; the province recognizes the significance of this and
has taken steps to cement this connection. Earlier this
year, Alberta opened an office in Washington, located at the
Canadian Embassy and headed by the former provincial energy
minister. The office of International and Intergovernmental
Affairs works closely with the Washington office and with
ConGen Calgary on a variety of issues including energy,
agriculture, security and trade. We find provincial
officers eager to engage and advance the relationship, and
ours has been a long-standing and positive one. That said,
we cannot let our relationship lag, especially with respect
to energy during this critical time.
The post's contact with DM Bourdeau has been limited to a
few meetings over the five years he has been in his position-
and Bourdeau himself does not have any substantial first-
hand experience in the United States. We hope that this
Voluntary Visitor Project will give him a stronger focus and
background on the United States, and will result in a closer
relationship between an important provincial government
official and U.S. colleagues and counterparts. We further
hope that this exchange will present more opportunities for
the United States to engage an important ally.
Another important, more sensitive and subtle goal for this
program revolves around a more rocky relationship. Over the
last few years, officials in Alberta and Montana have
experienced a breakdown in communications. Alberta
government officials have told us, off the record, that the
current state of communication between the province and the
state is, at senior levels, virtually non-existent. The
recent BSE situation and subsequent action by Montana
ranchers to bar beef and cattle imports from Canada, failure
to attend and engage in cross-border meetings, and the
frustration of Montanans who are living next to the
economically-booming Alberta have all contributed to this
breakdown. Since they have so much in common, and since
there are many on both sides of the border who would like to
see the relationship get back on track, ConGen Calgary would
like to quietly encourage the state and the province to get
back to the business of business-and we believe that there
may be an opportunity for DM Bourdeau to begin the process
by calling on a federal legislator from Montana.






END MEMO NOMINATING-JUSTIFICATION:
NOM-OFF: PA Calgary
SPEAKER?: No
NOTIFY-EMB: No
MEDIA?: No
HOME-STAY: No
HOME-HOSP?: Yes
E-I-TYPE: NONE
NOMINEE-ID: 544
PERSON-ID: 422
BIRTH-CNTRY-ID: CA
CITIZ-CNTRY-ID: CA
RES-CNTRY-ID: CA
FIRST-LANG-ID: EN
E-I-TYPE-ID: N
NOM-POST-ID: 6540
NOM-FUNDING-CNTRY-ID: 179098
NOM-STATUS: N
DS2019-ACTION: 1
DS2019-SUBJECT: 45.0601
SPONS-FUNDS: 0
SPONS-AGENCY1:
USGOVT-AGENCY1:
US-AGENCY-AMT1: 0
USGOVT-AGENCY2:
US-AGENCY-AMT2: 0
INTL-ORG1:
INTL-ORG-AMOUNT1: 0
INTL-ORG2:
INTL-ORG-AMOUNT2: 0
VIS-GOVT-AMT: 0
COMMISSION: 0
OTHER-AMOUNT: 0
VIS-AMOUNT: 0
VIS-CAT: 5
END BIO:
END NOMINATION:
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WILKINS