Subcommittee on International Human Rights Committee on June 6th, 2013

[David Sweet, Conservative, Ancaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Westdale, ON]

What about during the operation of the mine? Were your environmental standards the same as you would have in the operations you have here in Canada?

[Brent Bergeron]

Absolutely. Since taking over the operation in 2006, after the purchase of Glamis Gold, Goldcorp would have applied exactly the same types of principles that we apply here in Canada to Mexico, Guatemala, or Honduras.

[David Sweet, Conservative, Ancaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Westdale, ON]

So you wouldn't have a diminished environmental standard because the laws allowed that?

[Brent Bergeron]

Absolutely not. On the contrary, a lot of our standards are actually over and above a lot of the standards that do currently exist in these countries.

[David Sweet, Conservative, Ancaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Westdale, ON]

Thank you very much.

Do I have some more time, Mr. Chair?

[The Chair, Conservative, Scott Reid]

You do. You have another minute.

[David Sweet, Conservative, Ancaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Westdale, ON]

You mentioned 55,000 kg of tilapia, 38,000 kg of poultry. You mentioned a San Martin foundation. Are Hondurans able to own some of this property now? Is this like a land lease? Who runs the foundation? Is it the Government of Honduras? Can individuals have a stake in this now?

[Brent Bergeron]

Individuals do have a stake in this. Goldcorp is slowly relinquishing its complete stake in the actual operation. We continue at this point to help, in terms of the funding of the foundation, to make sure it will be sustainable, but there is a plan to release ourselves from the actual foundation so that it can sustain itself.

[David Sweet, Conservative, Ancaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Westdale, ON]

You're administering it right now.

[Brent Bergeron]

No, we are not administering it. It's a foundation called the San Martin Foundation that is administering the entire operation.

[David Sweet, Conservative, Ancaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Westdale, ON]

Is that a local board?

[Brent Bergeron]

It's a local board, yes. We do still have certain people from Goldcorp who are assisting on that board, in terms of being able to help with any type of further funds they may need for certain activities. But we are moving towards giving them—I wouldn't say full control—but full management of the foundation.

[David Sweet, Conservative, Ancaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Westdale, ON]

Thank you very much.

[The Chair, Conservative, Scott Reid]

Thank you, Mr. Sweet.

We go now to Mr. Marston.

[Wayne Marston, NDP, Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON]

Thank you, Chair.

Welcome.

It comes to mind that Canada is a leader in mining operations. I come from the labour movement. Within Canada, a mine that's producing well has high-paying jobs, and it certainly benefits the communities.

But over the last year I've been visited in my office—as human rights critic for our party—by representatives from Mexico, Colombia, the Philippines, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras. They were all raising issues about mining companies—not all about Goldcorp. We don't want to start painting it that way.

Their suggestion was that in many cases Canadian companies, from their perspective, were working hand in hand with the governments in pushing them off their land.

It's very troubling because of the mining concessions that people seek. In Honduras, I'm sure you know the mining law that was just put in. There are a variety of things. From our standpoint of corporate social responsibility, we're wondering where Canadian companies are fitting in to the processes when these indigenous peoples wind up being moved off their lands, with protest sometimes and even under threat, if not violence itself.

Would it not be in the interest of our Canadian companies and our reputation throughout the world to have our companies sit down in good faith and negotiate, and ask the governments to negotiate with these peoples to ensure that once a resolution is established, the lands are either made available or not made available? At least our reputation would be intact.

[Brent Bergeron]

I would say that part of our company's policy, and part of what I actually try to teach all of my workers who work in the area of corporate social responsibility, is that we do have a responsibility to go in and meet with the communities and to make sure that we try to reach as many of them as we can. It's based on the premise that if we don't have a relationship with the local community, and if it's not a good relationship based on trust, we don't have a project, basically.

[Wayne Marston, NDP, Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON]

Let me jump back in. From the sound of what you're telling me, that's exactly what I would want to hear.

The reason I'm interrupting you is that I believe the days are gone.... I'm not suggesting that your company or another Canadian company has done this, but there's a reputation of companies in the mining industry turning a blind eye to some of the things that have happened over the last number years to people, such as opponents to a particular site being beaten and in some cases “disappeared”, in some of the more extreme countries.

From our perspective, knowing that the eyes of the world are now on Canada because we are a leading force in mining, I think it's very important and I'm pleased to hear that you are involved with corporate social responsibility.

On April 27, security personnel shot and wounded six people at the Escobal mine site. According to wiretap evidence, Tahoe security manager Alberto Rotondo ordered mine security to attack the protesters. Mr. Rotondo has been charged with serious crimes—causing injury, obstruction of justice, and it included tampering with evidence at the site of the crime.

Now, as we heard before, Goldcorp owned the mine until 2010 and has a 40% share.... How does your company, with your stated principles and the things you were talking about, square that with corporate social responsibility, given the connections to this particular individual and the kinds of activities he's accused of? You did say that you had security investigations going on relative to this, but that relationship had been ongoing. This wasn't new news, and the people who came before me were talking about situations similar to this one from before.

I'd like to hear your position and give you a chance to respond.

[Brent Bergeron]

Okay.

Well, one of the reasons we are conducting our investigation and the government is conducting its investigation is that we want to be able to make sure we understand exactly what happened during that incident. There has been a lot of information coming out regarding what exactly occurred that day. We even have reports that certain protesters were bused in from other areas of the country to be able to protest the mining operation.

When we have spoken to officials over at the Tahoe operation, they have always given us a very good impression and good information regarding their relationship with the surrounding community, and from all indications, that relationship has always been extremely good.

That's why we are trying to continue to see what happened in this specific incident: to make sure that we get all the information and that we take decisions based on it.

Having said that, we are in direct communication with many of the senior managers at Tahoe, and based on the experience we had at the Marlin mine in Guatemala, which.... We have a very good relationship going on right now, and things are very good in terms of our closure plan, which we are moving towards with the community and the government, and are trying to transfer the lessons learned to the people from Tahoe.

[Wayne Marston, NDP, Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON]

Well, to go back to the other groups who came to my office, from Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, they were saying that Goldcorp was involved in some serious controversies in their countries. They are suggesting various levels of violence and repression related to security forces, and things of that nature.

It strikes me—and again, I'm hearing their side, and that's why we're pleased to hear your side today—that in the face of such intense opposition on so many fronts and in so many different countries.... As I suggested previously, the company should sit down and negotiate in good faith with people....

There's a picture being painted by the governments in these countries similar to what you said about people busing in protesters and those kinds of things. This is not what we're hearing from the people who make the effort—and they're poor people—to come to our country to try to put a face on the situation. These are the indigenous people of the lands, who were on this land and are facing removal and persecution as a result. I would caution that listening to governments that, in some sense of the word, we would deem corrupt here, with the evidence and suggestions they give back to you, might be a fallacy.

[The Chair, Conservative, Scott Reid]

I'm sorry, Mr. Marston, you're actually almost a minute over your time. Do you have a question you can put, and then he can respond?

[Wayne Marston, NDP, Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON]

If he wants to respond, I'd be glad to let him respond. But I'll leave it without a question at this point, because I've used the time.

[The Chair, Conservative, Scott Reid]

Okay.

[Brent Bergeron]

I'd just like to mention that in terms of our security issues, we do train people at all of our operations in the UN principles on security and human rights, the voluntary principles on security. We reach out with that type of training, not just of our workers but of people in the community.

We have an open policy in terms of people coming and visiting our sites. I'm always glad to bring people down to Guatemala, down to Mexico or other areas, to see exactly what is going on, not just at the mining operation but also in the communities where we operate.

It's amazing to me that every time we've done that, people are always surprised to actually see how things are working in the community. People are not protesting. They see investments being done in terms of some direct investments where we help with hospitals and schools. But it's not just that; it's also in terms of helping some of our workers create their own businesses to actually provide services to us or other businesses in the area.

There's always a difference between what we are hearing from certain organizations and what is actually going on in terms of on the ground and in the communities we're in. I would say that a lot of the allegations that have been made I disagree with. I would say that to come and see exactly what is going on is the best way to know that there is actually coherence in the communities. There is calm in the communities.

There are always issues in terms of them wanting more from the mining operation and being able to have better schools, better health, but it's a difficult situation for the mining operation in terms of not wanting to take over sometimes what the government should be doing in those areas too. So we try to be a catalyst for that.

[The Chair, Conservative, Scott Reid]

Thank you.

We'll go now to Ms. Grewal.

[Nina Grewal, Conservative, Fleetwood—Port Kells, BC]

Thank you, Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Bergeron, for your time and your presentation. It's certainly a pleasure to see you here again, especially coming from my province of British Columbia. A warm welcome to you.

Mining can lead to economic expansion, a decrease in poverty within third world countries, and some economic advantages, including improved services, increased employment in the local communities, and raised demand for goods and services that make the economy of local communities thrive.

Goldcorp has previously stated that the company seeks to have a positive economic impact wherever it operates. How does Goldcorp have a positive economic impact in Honduras?