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Bill Morneau told Quebec business leaders on Thursday he’s always appreciated the province’s open and friendly climate — but this time Canada’s finance minister wasn’t talking about investment.

Instead, Morneau began a speech to the Montreal Board of Trade with a tongue-in-cheek anecdote about how, on his first visit, a woman who would go on to become a prominent Quebec politician allowed him to share a room with his then-girlfriend.

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“I’d like to start with a little story about my first experience with Quebec because I see Monique Jérôme-Forget here today,” Morneau began, referring to the province’s finance minister between 2007 and 2009.

He went on to tell the crowd he once dated Jérôme-Forget’s daughter, Élise, while he was studying at the London School of Economics.

When she invited him home to visit her family in Montreal, Morneau accepted, albeit nervously.

“For those of you who don’t know Monique’s husband, Claude, he’s a very well-presented man, he’s very smart,” Morneau said.