Past prime ministers of Australia, Greece and Israel are joining a list of business and government leaders at the Surrey Regional Economic Summit this Thursday, February 27.
Julia Gillard, prime minister of Australia from 2010-13, Greece's George Papandreou, prime minister from 2009-11, and Ehud Barak, who led Israel from 1999-2001, will join Minister of Finance Mike de Jong as speakers at the summit.
Guests will speak about what Canada can learn from the economies of other countries around the world. De Jong will open the summit and discuss highlights of British Columbia's 2014 budget.
As well, Texas oil magnate T. Boone Pickens, an activist dedicated to reducing America's dependence on OPEC oil, will speak.
"As we look to unlock B.C.'s economic potential over the coming years, we need government, business and community leaders to work together," said Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts.
"The Surrey Summit gives all of us the chance to share ideas and insights from other jurisdictions around the world and how they tackled their own economic challenges and opportunities."
Other speakers will include:
- Ken Peacock, chief economics of the Business Council of British Columbia;
- Michael Goldberg, dean emeritus at UBC's Sauder School of Business;
- Andrew Ramlo, executive director at Urban Futures; and
- Shauna Sylvester, fellow at Simon Fraser University Centre for Dialogue.
The summit, which has been running since 2008, has seen past prominent speakers including former United States Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, past British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Sir Richard Branson and Rudy Giuliani.
