Corporate Social Responsibility of Mining Corporations Outside Canada Act

An Act respecting Corporate Social Responsibility for the Activities of Canadian Mining Corporations in Developing Countries

This bill was last introduced in the 39th Parliament, 2nd Session, which ended in September 2008.

Sponsor

Alexa McDonough  NDP

Introduced as a private member’s bill. (These don’t often become law.)

Status

Outside the Order of Precedence (a private member's bill that hasn't yet won the draw that determines which private member's bills can be debated), as of June 16, 2008
(This bill did not become law.)

Summary

This is from the published bill. The Library of Parliament often publishes better independent summaries.

The purpose of this enactment is to ensure that Canada’s commitments to international law and the International Bill of Rights are complied with in respect of the mining activities of Canadian corporations in developing countries. The enactment creates the Office of the Ombudsman and requires those corporations to report to it on their mining activities. It also gives the Office of the Ombudsman the responsibility to develop guidelines on best practices to follow for mining activities and it requires the Ombudsman to submit an annual report to both Houses of Parliament on the provisions and operation of this Act.

Elsewhere

All sorts of information on this bill is available at LEGISinfo, an excellent resource from the Library of Parliament. You can also read the full text of the bill.

Corporate Social Responsibility of Mining Corporations Outside Canada ActRoutine Proceedings

June 16th, 2008 / 3:05 p.m.
See context

NDP

Alexa McDonough NDP Halifax, NS

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-565, An Act respecting Corporate Social Responsibility for the Activities of Canadian Mining Corporations in Developing Countries.

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to table a private member's bill to ensure that Canadian companies involved in mining operations abroad conduct themselves in compliance with the International Bill of Rights and international law.

The bill would require Canadian companies to report on their mining activities to an impartial, independent ombudsperson responsible to develop guidelines on best practices. The ombudsperson would submit an annual report to the House of Parliament on the provisions and operations of this act.

This is to try to move forward the corporate social responsibility file that was the subject of extensive work by the international human rights committee and the foreign affairs committee before a series of national round tables came out with a consensus report urging the government to take action.

Fifteen months have passed and we have had no response from the government on this report. I challenge the Prime Minister, before he goes to the G-8 and admits that nothing has been done on this file, to support this bill.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)