US embassy cable - 05OTTAWA2107

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 OTTAWA 002107 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR ECA/PE/V/R/W - EWILKES-SCOTT 
 
STATE FOR WHA/PDA - JANE CARPENTER-ROCK 
 
STATE FOR WHA/CAN - TERRY BREESE 
 
STATE ALSO FOR H 
 
STATE PASS EPA FOR PETE CHRISTICH 
 
STATE PASS INTERIOR FOR ERIC WILSON 
 
USDA FOR PAULINE SIMMONS AND PRISCILLA JOSEPH 
 
APP WINNIPEG MESSAGE 2005/07 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OEXC, PREL, CA, IV Program 
SUBJECT: FY 2005 IVLP EVALUATION: KERRY MCQUARRIE SMITH; JANUARY 
18 - FEBRUARY 4, 2005; STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS 
 
Ref: [A] STATE 187945, [B] OTTAWA 2291 
 
1.  Summary: Program evaluation for International Visitor 
Leadership Program grantee Kerry McQuarrie Smith.  End summary. 
 
2.  MPP Theme Addressed:  Open Markets, Mutual understanding. 
Strategic Goal: Economic Prosperity. 
 
3.  Post Objectives:  Learning about the U.S. federal system of 
government - overview of federalism; the relationship of states 
to the federal government; state-to-state relations; Canada-U.S. 
relations 
 
-- Developing an understanding of the roles and responsibilities 
of the federal and state governments in areas of shared 
jurisdiction including healthcare, energy, and agriculture. 
 
-- Aboriginal self-government (aboriginal groups and their 
relationships to other local governments) 
 
-- Understanding the federal-state relationship on environmental 
issues - specifically how environmental policy is developed and 
enforced in the context of Manitoba's ongoing disputes with North 
Dakota over water issues (Devils Lake and the Northwest Area 
Water Supply initiative). Specific topics might include water 
quality, the interbasin transfer of invasive species and foreign 
biota 
 
4.  Results:  McQuarrie Smith found the program very useful both 
in terms of her professional development, and her understanding 
of U.S. federalism and the decision-making process in the United 
States.  In particular, McQuarrie Smith said her IVLP gave her a 
much better understanding "where the U.S. is coming from" in 
developing policy, and how the dynamics within the U.S. federal 
system that shape U.S. policy differ from those in Canada.  Her 
understanding of U.S. federalism was enhanced by a better 
understanding of the internal dynamics of the U.S. system and by 
seeing the number of different and overlapping levels of 
jurisdictional authority (e.g. City, County, regional government, 
etc.).  Because Canadians are exposed to U.S. culture from a very 
early age, many assume they know everything they need to know 
about the country.  When they spend an extended period of time in 
the United States - away from tourist attractions and other 
Canadians - they see that the United States does not fit into 
their preconceived notions.  Post noted that McQuarrie Smith's 
understanding of the country and its people has been 
significantly altered and enhanced as a result, making her more 
closely attuned to the "real" America.  We believe the program 
has had a profound impact on her views of the United States, and 
will make her more sensitive to U.S. interests and concerns as 
she begins her ascent through a very promising career in the 
Manitoba Government.  Although the 3 weeks involved in the IVLP 
was a huge time commitment for a busy professional with a young 
family, she thoroughly appreciated the experience and said that 
she found it to be very useful in her professional development. 
 
McQuarrie Smith complimented organizers on a visit that was 
generally well organized, with high-level and useful meetings 
with people who were of interest professionally.  She also 
enjoyed the discussions she had with Americans outside of the 
official program that had nothing to do with work.  Whether 
spending time with her hosts in several of the cities who spoke 
frankly about life in the United States, or talking to ordinary 
Americans she met in hotels or on the subway, she was surprised 
at how willing Americans are to enter into candid discussions 
about politics with somebody they barely know.  Her travels gave 
her the opportunity to meet many people in different walks of 
life and she found the experience extremely useful in developing 
a better understanding of the American people and the things that 
motivate them. 
 
McQuarrie Smith found programming uneven between cities.  Her 
program in Washington was busy, possibly due to losing a day's 
worth of programming time because of the Martin Luther King 
holiday - but there were sometimes long gaps between meetings in 
the other cities.  She would have preferred a busier schedule and 
meeting with more people to enhance and maximize her opportunity 
to learn about the United States.  She also said that she would 
have found it useful to do more of the programming in groups, or 
as joint sessions with other IVs on Individual programs who 
happened to be in the same cities at the same time.  She found a 
joint session with other IVs in Washington (on U.S. federalism) 
very useful, and she believed it would be even more useful for 
IVs who are less familiar or comfortable in the United States to 
be paired up with others.  After the briefing, she enjoyed the 
chance to speak with the other participants to compare notes and 
talk about their programs.  McQuarrie Smith cited this example 
from Denver:  In her hotel, she met up with an Italian IV and her 
ELO.  Both McQuarrie Smith and the Italian participant had 
requested meetings with the Western Governor's Association, but 
only the Italian was successful in getting an appointment.  She 
certainly understands that the WGA would find it repetitive to do 
separate briefing for two IVLPers on the same day, but perhaps 
they would have considered doing one joint session with both 
participants?  Post endorses McQuarrie Smith's call to look at 
doing joint programming where possible to reduce the number of 
requests we make of busy interlocutors and to enhance the 
experience of participants. 
 
 
McQuarrie Smith noted that she did not meet one person during her 
trip who admitted to being a Republican.  She found it unusual, 
especially since she visited several "red states" and another 
(Wisconsin), which is very competitive.  She would have found it 
useful to get the perspective of those millions of Americans who 
identify with the Republican Party. 
 
McQuarrie Smith found the Washington program the busiest and best 
organized of the visit.  She found the Inauguration and Inaugural 
events interesting and useful in understanding the importance of 
the presidency in American life, although she said she would like 
to visit Washington again sometime when it's not Inauguration 
week to get a better sense of how the city normally functions. 
She found the security overwhelming, especially at federal 
government buildings, but it gave her a better understanding of 
Americans' concerns about security post-9/11.  She enjoyed 
visiting the Smithsonian in her free time, and she identified the 
Kermit the Frog exhibit as her favorite. 
 
In Atlanta, McQuarrie Smith found the meetings interesting and 
useful, but the schedule was light.  She said it was as if they 
only had enough programming for one day, but had to stretch it to 
cover two.  The highlight of Atlanta was her meeting with Kathie 
Robichaud at the Research Alliance.  McQuarrie Smith appreciated 
learning about Georgia's confident approach to the 
commercialization of biotechnology which McQuarrie Smith 
affectionately referred to as the "build it and they will come" 
approach. 
 
McQuarrie Smith found the Denver visit to be the least useful of 
her visit.  One meeting she identified as being with "an NGO that 
distributes needles to the third world" and was not really 
applicable to her area of interest, and another with a city 
councilor was not particularly useful.  She also suffered from a 
stomach flu, which limited her involvement in the Ski Day with 
her Denver hosts that she was really looking forward to.  She 
really appreciated the home hospitality she received in Denver, 
and said that her hosts and local organizers were all very 
gracious. 
 
Upon arrival in Sacramento, McQuarrie Smith learned that the 
Executive Director of the local council for International 
Visitors had recently resigned, leaving the Intern to set up her 
program.  Considering the adjustments the Intern had to make at 
the last moment to accommodate, McQuarrie Smith was very 
impressed with the arrangements that awaited her.  The logistical 
arrangements in particular were detailed, correct, and useful. 
She described the appointments themselves as "up and down".  The 
meeting with the energy utility turned out not to be that useful, 
although she found the meeting with the energy commission to be 
quite interesting and helpful in understanding California's 
recent history with deregulation.  She found some direct 
parallels with the discussion over deregulation in Manitoba and 
Canada, and learned many lessons from California's experience 
that can be applied in the Canadian context.   Her meeting with 
Governor Schwarzenegger's staff was good - but brief - and she 
developed a contact she intends to use in future contact with the 
state. 
Madison was McQuarrie Smith's favorite city on the visit.  Among 
the highlights in Madison was her meeting with Professor Richard 
Monette at the University of Wisconsin Law School.  In what she 
identified as the best meeting of her program and the most 
applicable to the work she is doing at this point in her career, 
McQuarrie Smith had a long and thorough visit with Monette on a 
vast array of issues including Native American issues, and the 
position of a small Midwestern state in the U.S. federalist 
system.  They found they shared many common experiences from 
their Midwestern backgrounds.  McQuarrie Smith also found the 
meeting with the State Senator especially useful in understanding 
state politics and Wisconsin's involvement in the Midwestern 
Legislative Conference, which Manitoba has recently joined. 
Although she found the meetings interesting and useful, her 
schedule again was somewhat light. 
 
Among the things McQuarrie Smith discovered on her IVLP, she was 
surprised to learn that State legislators in Colorado serve part- 
time and are paid only $30,000 per year.  She contrasts that with 
Manitoba where legislators work full-time on behalf of their 
constituents, and she was left wondering who represents 
Coloradoans the rest of the time.  She noted that it limits the 
number of people who can afford the time and cost of running for 
- and serving in - elected office.  Also the role of lobbyists in 
policy research and developing position papers differs greatly 
from Canada.   McQuarrie Smith is a little introverted and 
expected to enjoy the issues and learning of the program the 
most.  She was surprised to discover that the interpersonal part 
of the program - both on and off program - gave her the most 
pleasure and the most long-lasting and positive memories of her 
visit. 
 
McQuarrie Smith developed 6-7 good contacts on her IVLP that she 
will keep in touch with; some of whom she has already contacted 
and others that she will put in touch with their counterparts in 
the Manitoba Government so they can talk directly.  Several of 
the people she met expressed an interest in visiting Winnipeg, 
and she will encourage them to come.  She found it useful for her 
job to meet so many people and develop a better understanding of 
who to talk to in each state to set things up for future visits 
by legislators or government officials. 
 
The transportation and logistics for the visit were very good. 
With the exception of the domestic flight arrangements - her name 
was misspelled on all of them so she had to call program 
organizers to get it fixed - the flights, taxis, metro 
arrangements all worked out perfectly.  She said the hotels were 
fine: they were clean and safe, although the renovations at the 
hotel in Madison were somewhat inconvenient. 
 
McQuarrie Smith does not really have the type of position where 
she can make a public statement about her IVLP.  She does plan, 
however, to write a full report on her visit and share it with 
Manitoba Government officials and she has already shared contact 
and other information with colleagues. 
 
5.  APP WINNIPEG SENDS.