Mr. Speaker, I have spoken with people like Congressman Brian Baird and Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney from the U.S. Congress. I saw them last weekend in Davos, Switzerland. We were speaking on protectionist issues, and I participated in those sessions.
I have also spoken with people of influence like Governor Howard Dean, who until recently was head of the Democrat national committee, about these issues. I have spoken with people like Jim Blanchard and Gordon Giffin, former ambassadors to Canada, about these issues and sought their advice as to how we should proceed. Therefore, I am doing that and I would hope more legislators are doing it.
I know, for instance, some our Senate colleagues, senators like Senator Jerry Grafstein, have more connections in Washington than probably any ambassador in history, and Senator Colin Kenny has deep relationships.
I am certain some Conservative members opposite and members perhaps from all parties are engaging in these kinds of discussions and I think we should be doing more of it. We have the capacity, for instance, to go to Washington four times a year as members of Parliament. We ought to be doing more of that in coordinated way and, on an ongoing basis, making the case of the mutual interest we have as a friend, partner and economic ally of the United States.