Subcommittee of the Standing Committee on Finance on Bill C-38 committee  In a nutshell, we need a much more thorough environmental assessment process that is contemplated in this act in order to look at the kinds of contingencies, including economic contingencies—bankruptcies and abandonment of projects—that have caused such grief in the past.

Subcommittee of the Standing Committee on Finance on Bill C-38 committee  The specific limitation applies to National Energy Board processes, as far as I can tell, in the legislation. Within the range of proposed assessment processes, one of them limits the definition of public participant to someone with a direct interest, which is something that has

Subcommittee of the Standing Committee on Finance on Bill C-38 committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you for the invitation. I am here today as a representative of MiningWatch Canada, a national non-governmental organization—not a charity—and as co-chair of the environmental planning and assessment caucus of the Canadian Environmental Network, wh

International Trade committee  We have not supported any free trade agreements that contain these provisions.

International Trade committee  It strikes me as problematic that we are collectively putting all our eggs in the basket of this one clause, which goes against the established pattern of investor-state provisions—

International Trade committee  Mr. Cannis, if you're not interested in hearing the answer, that's fine. Go ahead.

International Trade committee  No, it's because we have repeated cases of abuse arising from those provisions, and the protections that have been provided—

International Trade committee  No, the preventive provision has been recently implemented. It's in the Canadian model, FIPA.

International Trade committee  You've made your point; if you'd allow me to make mine, I would appreciate it.

International Trade committee  Can you provide me an example of a free trade agreement that does not have those—

International Trade committee  —are not tested—

International Trade committee  Thank you.

International Trade committee  ... I would say there are a number of examples of where companies are trying to manage both the environmental and social aspects of their operations.

International Trade committee  Yes, and even governance is a sort of—

International Trade committee  No, the issue is almost just one of capacity. You don't need to invoke corruption or influence or anything like that, if the technical capacity isn't there. We had the Guatemalan minister of mines, and I'm still trying to find the quote, but he said at one point that they have tr