I'll ask Paul to comment on this, but I would start off by saying that North Africa is a good example. I think the bilaterals the U.S. is doing are very simplified models that just solve a problem. They're not looking at a huge trade agreement that will take five or 10 years to negotiate. They're quite straightforward and simple and cover off maybe only five or six or 10 problems.
The one other point I'd like to make before I turn the mike over to Paul is that this issue of lack of Canadian representation at the political level has become worse over the last five years. It's not anyone's fault, except to say that when there are elections on the horizon--and having spent 23 years in politics, I know this--obviously many things get set aside.
I know that with a minority government it is very difficult for members of Parliament to travel, for obvious political reasons, and we may, as Canadians, need to face this for some period of time, which only tells us that we have to find a way around it. You can't stay in Ottawa or in your constituency and ignore the rest of the world if we're going to continue to build the economy. I'm not saying it's because of one party or the other; I think it's the situation we're in, and the problem is getting worse and worse. First of all, no one wants to be on what might be determined as a political junket in the media. No one wants to be away when the House has a vote, but believe me, that's not helping us in the international world that we work in. In your report, I would like us to find a way to speak very directly to that issue and try to solve it.