Mr. Speaker, when we discussed these plans in December among first ministers, it was decided we would work together, and the Premiers said it was a very good idea for those who were able to do so to accompany me on this trip.
At the time, we thought about three or four would be coming along. Since then, there has been a lot of interest from the business community, and there will be a large number of people on this trip, including quite a few from Quebec.
During the summer, some Premiers who thought they would not be able to come had asked to be replaced. They were told that those who could would come along and as for the others, it was just too bad. In any case, this is a Canadian delegation that will include a large number of business people. There will be twice as many as we had planned. Canada, Quebec and the other provinces will be represented by the business people on the trip and by the Prime Minister of Canada, who also happens to be a Quebecer.