Ottawa - Gord Brown, Member of Parliament for Leeds-Grenville, was today elected the House of Commons Chair on the Canada-United States Inter-Parliamentary Group.

He co-chairs the Group with Senator Jerry Grafstein.

“I am pleased that my colleagues from all political parties placed their support behind me, and their trust in me, in this important role,” says Mr. Brown.

The Group holds meetings in Canada and the United States and 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.

They meet regularly and hold discussions with Congressmen and Senators from the United States.

Mr. Brown had been Vice-Chair of the Group for the past three years and has been a member since first being elected.

“The United States is our largest trading partner and we have share common concerns,” says Mr. Brown. “Often, issues that confront their legislators are the same as ours, or affect us greatly. The Canada-US Group works to keep the lines of communication open between their legislators and ours.”

Mr. Brown recently returned from a one week trip to Washington where many issues were discussed. Eight Members of Parliament and Senators met with their counterparts in the United States and discussed issues as diverse as trade, the border, Afghanistan, the 2010 Olympics, energy and security,” explains Brown.

See www.gordbrownmp.ca for details and a release on that trip.

For more information on the Canada-United States Inter-Parliamentary Group visit www.parl.gc.ca/iia/Association.aspx?Lang=E&DCId=4&DTId=6&P=overview&ORGId=1383