Thread: Dean cuts Montebello agenda short!

Dean cuts Montebello agenda short TheStar.com - News - Dean cuts Montebello agenda short
CEOs get the floor at North American leaders summit
August 21, 2007
Bruce Campion-Smith
Tonda MacCharles
Ottawa Bureau

MONTEBELLO, Que — The leaders of Mexico, Canada and the United States have kicked off their North American Leader's Summit with a briefing from top CEOs on how to make their countries more competitive.

But the day's agenda has been cut short to allow Mexican President Felipe Calderón to return home to deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Dean, which came ashore overnight on the Yucatan Peninsula.

Lunch was cancelled and instead, the leaders met over breakfast and are now scheduled hold a news conference just after noon.

Their day started with a briefing from the North American Competitiveness Council, a body of 30 CEOs from the three countries.

It's their mission to advise the leaders on how North America can better compete against the economic powerhouses of China and the European Union.

Canadians on the business panel include Dominic D'Alessandro, of Manulife Financial; Paul Desmarais Jr, of Power Corporation of Canada; and Annette Verschuren, of The Home Depot.

The night before, the leaders, along with a small group of advisors, discussed hemispheric issues over dinner at Chateau Montebello resort, 80 km east of Ottawa.

After Harper met privately with Calderon for an hour last night, the prime minister's communications director Sandra Buckler told reporters via email the leaders agreed to strike two more working groups under the Canada-Mexican Partnership on the environment and labour mobility.

But it appeared Harper did not raise the alarming issue of violence towards tourists, and the still unsolved 2006 murders of Dominic and Annunziata Ianiero, found dead in their hotel room.

http://www.thestar.com/News/article/248315

Let’s pray that Dean dose not force more illegal immigrants our way!