This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

051813Z Jan 06

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 OTTAWA 000026 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE 
 
SECSTATE FOR IIP/G/WHA - CBARONE; WHA/PDA - JCARPENTER-ROCK 
MONTREAL, TORONTO AND VANCOUVER FOR PAOS 
CALGARY FOR PA FIELD REP AND PASS TO APP WINNIPEG; HALIFAX 
FOR PA FIELD REP 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KPAO OIIP CA
SUBJECT: FY 2006 U.S. SPEAKER REQUEST:  Former Congressmen 
James Greenwood (R-Pennsylvania) and Bob Carr (D-Michigan) 
 
 
¶1.   PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: Post requests two former U.S. 
Congressmen, one Republican and one Democrat, as U.S. 
Speakers for a program to include Carleton University 
faculty and students in Ottawa, Parliamentary staff, and 
government officials, media and academics in other Canadian 
cities via videoconference.  The two-day program, February 6- 
8, co-sponsored with the U.S.-based Congress to Campus 
Program, will include seminars with students and faculty at 
Carleton University; meetings with government officials and 
staffers; a reception hosted by Ambassador Wilkins; and 
schedules permitting, a DVC with audiences at some of the 
seven U.S. Consulates across Canada. 
¶2.   TIME FRAME: February 6-9, 2006 (international travel on 
Feb 6 and Feb 9) 
¶3.   AUDIENCE: students, faculty, government officials, 
politicians, parliamentary staffers, media. 
 
¶4.   PROPOSED TOPICS AND TYPES OF EVENTS: 
 
Topics:  The U.S. Policy-making Process; The U.S. 
bipartisan, bicameral legislature and its promotion of 
active debate on public policy; U.S.-Canada Relations: 
Understanding differences in governance styles. 
 
Formats:  University seminars with political science, 
history, economics, and journalism students; campus lecture; 
informal discussion with Parliamentary staffers and interns; 
interactive video conference with invited audiences in 
Ottawa and participating U.S. Consulates across Canada (15- 
minute introductory remarks followed by round-robin 
questions and answers). 
 
 
¶5.   PURPOSE: 
 
Canada's Ambassador to the United States recently made 
public reference to the U.S. system of government as 
"dysfunctional" in describing the perceived slowness and 
ineffectiveness of U.S.G. actions that affect Canada.  This 
illustrates one of the fundamental areas in which Canadians 
think they understand their nearest neighbors, but in fact 
do not.  Canadians are long accustomed to a system of 
parliamentary democracy.  The Prime Minister, assuming 
his/her party holds a majority, faces little opposition 
within the House of Commons and little dissent from the 
appointed Senate or the court system.  Assuming that the 
U.S. balance of powers system works in a similar way, it is 
difficult for Canadians to understand why, for example, 
President Bush could not immediately follow through on the 
administration's stated intent to reopen U.S. borders to 
Canadian beef; or why, despite the administration's 
opposition and the findings of a WTO panel, the 
administration could not simply revoke the Byrd Amendment. 
 
The proposed program with two former Congressmen from the 
two major U.S. political parties would offer Canadian 
students, politicians, officials, political aides and 
journalists a rare opportunity to gain the Congressmen's 
inside perspectives on the workings of American democracy. 
Post expects their visit to result in new insights and a new 
context for understanding the complexity of checks and 
balances; and a fuller appreciation of the vitality of the 
U.S. political system, including the opportunity for 
thorough debate of issues that characterize the American 
political process.  Audiences will include Canadian 
academics, students and journalists, who are some of our 
most prominent critics; as well as politicians and staffers, 
who will be forming a new national government after 
elections on January 23. 
 
This program supports three MPP goals:  Close Ties with 
Allies and Friends, Economic Prosperity, and Mutual 
Understanding. 
 
 
¶6. TYPE OR NAME OF SPECIALIST REQUIRED: 
The post proposes this program in coordination with Carleton 
University in Ottawa, renowned for its strong programs in 
international relations and journalism, and the U.S.-based 
Congress to Campus Program, a partnership between the 
Stennis Center, the Center for Democracy and Citizenship 
(CDC) at the Council for Excellence in Government, and the 
U.S. Association of Former Members of Congress. The Program 
traditionally sends former members to U.S. college campuses 
to educate the next generation about American government, 
politics and public affairs and about bipartisan 
cooperation.  Recent forays into international exchanges 
have proved very worthwhile, as reported by U.S. Consulate 
Toronto colleagues, who co-hosted members visiting the 
University of Toronto last year. 
Charles Clontz, Program Director at the Congress to Campus 
Program, has recruited Congressmen Greenwood (Republican, 
Pennsylvania) and Carr (Democrat, Michigan) for this 
program.  Clontz can be reached by e-mail at 
cclonts@EXCELGOV.org. 
Speakers: 
 
James Greenwood 
Biotechnology 
Industry Organization 
1225 Eye Street NW 
Suite 400 
Washington, DC 20005 
202.962.9200 
 
Contact: 
Karen V. Cologne 
Executive Assistant to the President & Board Assistant, 
(202) 312-9267, kcologne@bio.org (mailto:kcologne@bio.org) 
 
Bob Carr 
2775 Unicorn Lane NW 
Washington, D.C. 20003 
202/543-5237 
202/548-2343 (fax) 
202/544-8195 (home 
 
Speaker bio: 
http://www.stennis.gov/Congressionalbios 
http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodispl ay.pl?index=G00 
0439 
http://www.bio.org/aboutbio/biography.asp?sp= 00078503 
 
¶6.   LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS:  English 
 
¶7.   REQUESTS FOR SUPPORTING BIBLIOGRAPHIC MATERIALS: none 
 
¶8.   MISSION PROGRAM OFFICER: Elizabeth Kauffman, Cultural 
Affairs Officer, U.S. Embassy Ottawa; e-mail 
kauffmanec@state.gov; tel (613)688-5314, fax (613) 688-3101, 
home (613) 745-0124, cell (513) 859-5295.  Please also 
include Sandra Weedmark on communications about this 
project:  weedmarksl@state.gov, 613-688-5313. 
 
¶9.   FUNDING SPECIFICS:  Post wishes to share the program 
costs as follows: 
 
Post I-Bucks cover the following expenses for the two 
speakers:  : 
 
1)  Meals and Incidentals for four days (Monday-Thursday) 
US rate:  $89/day x 4 days = $356 x 2 persons = $712 
 
2)  Honorarium for four days (Mon-Thurs) @ $200/day x 4 days 
x 2 persons = $1600 
 
(Would be adjusted if they travel home on the third day) 
 
3)  Airport taxis:  $30/trip x 2 trips x 2 persons = $120. 
 
Congress to Campus covers the following costs for the 
speakers, in cooperation with Carleton University: 
 
1)  Roundtrip international airfare for both Congressmen 
 
2)  Lodging for both Congressmen 
 
3)   Local transport to/from Carleton, if not provided by 
    Carleton. 
 
¶10.  Post looks forward to working with IIP to implement 
this innovative program. 
WILKINS