September 26, 2006

Premier Gary Doer has been invited to join California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger tomorrow at a signing ceremony for a new bill to reduce greenhouse gas emissions within the state of California.

The Province of Manitoba and the State of California were named by Business Week magazine in 2005 as the top regional governments for actions taken in response to climate change.

“Our vision for Manitoba is growing our economy and protecting our environment through clean energy development and energy efficiency,” Doer said.

“This is a vision we share with Gov. Schwarzenegger and others who have shown leadership in the effort to fight global warming. We think it’s important that we continue to learn from each other’s innovations and be inspired by each other’s bold leadership.”

Doer noted that Manitoba businesses are also contributing in the battle against global warming. For example, California has become a major market for New Flyer Industries, which is manufacturing a growing number of hybrid buses and bringing cleaner transportation to the streets of Orange County, Long Beach, Norwalk, Montebello, Gardena and Fresno.

While in California, the premier will also meet with Canada’s consul general, stationed in Los Angeles, as well as companies in the new media and aerospace industries. The cost of his two-day trip is estimated at $1,800.

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