Mr. Speaker, I would like to join you in congratulating our new colleague from Trinity—Spadina as he joins the House today for the first time. He asked a very pertinent question, one for which I do not have an answer.
I have to share in his concern, however. As we shut down too many embassies and consulates in Africa, we are forcing people to travel from country to country. Lo and behold, that is the case in East Africa and also in West Africa. I know one ambassador there who has the responsibility for five countries, including some of these. Now they cannot travel. The borders are crossed in some cases. We are causing more difficulties than are necessary.
I would hope that we would learn from this. Once we have tackled the terrible situation that currently exists in West Africa—and we hope it does not spread and that we contain it and eventually cure this damned thing—then at that point we hope the government would consider the implications of the decisions to close embassies and would reopen some for a number of reasons, not just to avoid spreading disease but also to help people get on with their lives without having to wait endlessly for some results and information that usually should come much faster than that.