Environment committee  I also would like to thank you for this opportunity to share our observations on Bill C-469. I apologize for not having had the opportunity to prepare a more detailed written brief in advance. However, we see this bill as an important step and one that we're pleased to address.

Environment committee  It's the Red Chris project.

Environment committee  The case is referenced as MiningWatch.

Environment committee  The guarantee of access to information and public participation is what we missed, especially missed the public participation in that process. That was what we missed and what we ended up taking to court.

Environment committee  I don't think so. That certainly wouldn't help anybody. What would be useful is a more consistent and coherent reporting and public notification system, and then the identification of the public participation that is supposed to take place. The difficulty we're in right now is t

Environment committee  No. That determination does not prevent an environmental assessment; what it allows is a change in the project description so as to bypass the comprehensive study list, which is the guaranteed public participation mechanism. This wouldn't affect that determination, so the project

Environment committee  Yes. I think that would be useful.

Environment committee  I was referring to a range of legislative and regulatory tools, specifically the measures envisioned in this bill. What I meant by that was that organizations such as ours work with affected communities. We do a lot of education work. We work through the Canadian Environmental Ne

Environment committee  No. The entire point is that the threat of litigation is a very strong motivator. Our group doesn't like to litigate any more than anyone else. It's expensive and time-consuming. If there's a lower-cost way of achieving those results, we will choose it every time.

Environment committee  Yes. I think there's an important distinction between having the ability to sue and actually doing so. The gap we're looking at now is whether the incentive is there on the part of federal agencies to actually fulfill their mandates and enforce their own legislation.

Environment committee  I didn't say that.

Environment committee  I believe so.

International Trade committee  Very good. Thank you Good afternoon, committee members. I'd like to thank you for this opportunity to share our observations on the free trade agreement between Canada and Panama. Since the invitation came very recently, I apologize that we have not had a chance to prepare a mor

International Trade committee  I'm trying to parse a double negative. Will...?

International Trade committee  The problem I'm trying to highlight with the existing agreement is that it does not provide the protection that should be in place to go along with the investment. Certainly increased investment could bring benefits, but only under conditions that are not evident in this case. Th