Thank you, General. I do understand, but we simply want an explanation.
If things are complicated in Qatar or in Kuwait and everything costs three times as much as it does elsewhere, simply tell us and you'll have answered the question. We can understand that prices are higher in certain countries and that things cost less in Riga or in Berlin, for example, as was the case with the other trip. We would be pleased to receive an intelligent answer to clear things up.
We would like to know if there were excesses during the trip. Were people served caviar and expensive champagne, for example? That is the fundamental question. We do understand that people have to eat during a trip, but there's a difference between the cost of the 60‑strong delegation's trip to Europe and that of the 30‑person delegation. That's why we need an explanation. If you tell us that in Qatar, things cost four times as much, we will understand. That is what we want to know, General. We would like detailed information in answer to our questions.
Is there an office within Global Affairs Canada that tells you exactly what people would like to eat and then asks you to provide the menu, or do you have some leeway? Does the Royal Canadian Air Force have a say in these decisions, or do you simply follow instructions from Global Affairs Canada?