Report Visit of the Honourable Peter Milliken, M.P., Speaker of the House of Commons, and a Parliamentary Delegation, Kuwait and Sweden
Report Visit of the Honourable Peter Milliken, M.P., Speaker of the House of Commons, and a Parliamentary Delegation, Kuwait and Sweden, March 13 to 19, 2011 At the invitation of His Excellency Jassem Mohammed Abdulmuhsen Al-Kharafi, Speaker of the Majles Al-Ommah (National Assembly of Kuwait), and the Honourable Per Westerberg, Speaker of the Riksdag (Swedish parliament), the Honourable Peter Milliken, M.P., and Speaker of the House of Commons, led a parliamentary delegation on an official visit to Kuwait and Sweden from March 13 to 19, 2011. The delegation has the honour to present its Report The Canadian delegation was comprised of the following members: The Honourable Peter Milliken, M.P., Speaker of the House of Commons; Mrs. Raymonde Folco, M.P.; Mr. Kevin Sorenson, M.P.; Mr. Pierre Poilievre, M.P.; Mrs. Judy Foote, M.P.; Ms. Heather Bradley, Director of Communications, Speaker’s Office; and Ms. Gaëtane Lemay, Secretary to the Delegation. Context – Kuwait Kuwait is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system. Of its population of 3.5 million, 69% are foreign residents. The unicameral National Assembly is made up of 50 members elected every four years and 15 ministers appointed by the Prime Minister. The country depends on oil, which accounts for about 43% of its GDP, 95% of its export earnings and 80% of government revenues. Canada’s presence is increasingly being felt in architecture and engineering, the petroleum industry, education, health care and a growing number of retail outlets. About 3,500 Canadian citizens live in Kuwait, working mostly in highly paid occupations.
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