Mr. Speaker, the Reform Party has sent its boss to Washington to try and impress Republican leader Newt Gingrich with its brand of politics. This gives a whole new meaning to the expression "a meeting of the minds".
Let us read today's agenda for these public officials: Republican whip meeting, closed to the public; meeting with the undersecretary of state, no photo op; briefing with officials of the secretary of defence, no photo op; Concord Coalition briefing, closed; Progress and Freedom Foundation briefing, in camera. Finally, the leader of the Reform Party is enjoying a Heritage Foundation private luncheon and you guessed it, it is private.
We cannot understand why the leader of the third party prefers to have closed meetings. Yesterday, Washington reporters paid him the ultimate compliment by saying he was a Liberal.