Mr. Speaker, I am happy to announce that the Government of Canada will appoint as ambassador a career diplomat whose only mandate will be to help Quebec City in its bid to host the 2002 Winter Olympics.
The Department of Foreign Affairs will provide logistical and technical assistance to Quebec City, as we did in the past for other Canadian cities that wanted to host the Olympic Games. I am convinced that this ambassador, who will be appointed after consultations with Quebec City's organizing committee for 2002, will be an invaluable asset to Quebec City in its bid to host the Olympic Games.