Madam Speaker, the member's questions are very legitimate.
Let me deal first with the cost issue. The cost of separating the one department into two is going to be cost neutral. That does not mean I will not be asking for more funds to promote international trade and investment. After all, we have a brand new mandate of new and emerging markets and a whole bunch of new responsibilities.
Let me add for the hon. member that I believe splitting the department and giving us a separate department for international trade shows the great importance that the Prime Minister attaches to trade and investment being critical to the prosperity of Canadians. It means that there will be a separate voice at the cabinet table arguing for these issues. There will be greater flexibility in being able to respond quickly to global changes. There will be new government investment in the international centres for Industry Canada. We have taken over those functions from Industry Canada. This gives us the ability to give one stop shopping through our department to the clientele in Canada.
I might add in closing that other countries have seen the importance of having separate departments for international trade and investment, such as the U.K. and Japan and the European Union. They have separate ministers. In the U.S., the U.S. trade representative reports directly to the White House.