Thank you, Irek. I think it's a very relevant question.
I know that Canadians are all watching what's going on south of the border today, and I must say that not only is it the most important relationship we have with a country in the world but it's existential to us—and I mentioned it in my speech—geopolitically, economically, at the security level and in every single way. That relationship with the U.S. is my number one priority. As Minister of Foreign Affairs I am the steward of that relationship, of course, with the Prime Minister, and we decided to make a key investment because we know that all countries of the world are in the U.S., and particularly, in New York, so we wanted to make sure we were going through the right investments. I expect, of course, at all times, that my public servants follow the rules well, knowing that our priority is to make sure we invest in the relationship. I think that, when you believe in a relationship, you actually invest in it. That's why it is really important that we are well-represented in the U.S. at the consulate level.
I also mentioned in my speech that this is the oldest consulate we have in the world. It's the first one we opened at the time, more than 100 years ago. Also, it is one of the most important. We know there are so many jobs that are linked to it, definitely in Windsor—Tecumseh, which I had the chance to visit—and to see you, Irek. This is the case in Michael Barrett's riding also, and in all of our ridings because, at the end of the day, we know that it's a market that's $6 trillion. If we're not there, well, others will be, and we'll lose either opportunities or the possibility of defending our jobs back home