Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The offer that the Minister has made to sort of brief committee on the fly here on the floor in the dying days of this Assembly really falls short. It demonstrates a number of the things that we've talked about over and over in the life of this Assembly. I spoke to them this afternoon in my reply to the opening address; that communication issues have really dogged the relationship between just about every department or other and committee. I am sort of doubly frustrated here because at heart I am a tourism guy, Mr. Chairman, but I also have a responsibility to be a steward of the resources and the needs that we have over here to make sure business is done thoroughly, openly and in decent time and that has not been the case. Minister Bell advised us a little while ago that this mission has been in the works for some time now. I am assuming that is months, perhaps even longer. My understanding is it's years. It takes a long time to set up protocols with the Chinese officials to do this. I can appreciate that accessing this is going to potentially further delay our chances of getting a foot in the door at China. But I am still sitting here, Mr. Chairman, saying I am going to sign off on $100,000 without the benefit of information or performing or doing my job, doing the committee's job as oversight and as partners and contributors to this kind of thing. I have been denied the opportunity.
Mr. Chairman, I am going to ask a couple of questions here. Why didn't the department come to committee and distribute the information? I am speaking to the motion. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.