LINGENFELTER ATTENDS WESTERN GOVERNORS' CONFERENCE

Released on June 27, 1995

Economic Development Minister Dwain Lingenfelter met with governors of
the western states in Utah, June 25-26, to discuss the changing nature
of federalism in the two countries.

Lingenfelter said particular attention was given to managing state and
provincial governments in an environment of fiscal restraint.

The conference is the annual gathering of the governors of the western
United States. Because of the importance of the conference theme to
western jurisdictions, an elected official from each western province
was invited to participate in the conference.

"I took the occasion of the Western Governors Association meeting to
describe how Saskatchewan has successfully grappled with deficits
without sacrificing our basic values such as accessibility to health
care," Lingenfelter said.

Lingenfelter said the western governors and their Canadian colleagues
discussed the impact of federal deficit reduction in both countries.
Both states and provinces are concerned that federal measures must not
unfairly shift the burden of deficit reduction to their own
jurisdictions.

Lingenfelter said that the key to successful management of this problem
is for states and provinces to convince their respective federal
governments not to act unilaterally, but to work together, to set the
principles and priorities for a truly national debt reduction strategy.

Using Saskatchewan's new regional health boards as an example,
Lingenfelter said that the public must also have a major role in
shaping and deciding how services are redesigned to better fit local
needs and available resources.

Lingenfelter also said that information technology will play a critical
role in achieving responsive and cost-effective government in an era of
fiscal restraint, as well as being an increasingly important element in
economic development.

"I had an opportunity to speak with several governors about the role
that information technology can play in improving the delivery of
government services, a central theme in this year's conference,"
Lingenfelter said. "I was able to describe Saskatchewan's experiences
and objectives in areas like distance education while, at the same
time, promoting the commercial interests of our leading-edge infotech
service providers to the key decision-makers in the western United
States.

Lingenfelter also reiterated Premier Roy Romanow's invitation to the
chair and co-chair of the Western Governors Association to continue
their discussions in a session at the Western Premiers' Conference to
be held in Yorkton later this year. He also met with Governor Ed
Schafer of North Dakota to discuss mutual interests in cross-border
economic development.

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For more information, contact:

Lynn Gidluck
Media Relations Officer
Regina
Phone: (306) 787-0850