Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I have two amendments on this issue. Section 5 of the new Invest in Canada Act refers to the Invest in Canada mission, the new institution that will take the steps to attract investors to Canada.
Section 5 has paragraphs (a) and (b). My amendment adds paragraph (c), which reads as follows:
(c) ensure that foreign direct investment in Canada contributes to creating, maintaining and protecting jobs and to promoting labour and environmental laws.
The goal is to ensure that the mission set out in the Invest in Canada Act includes a provision clarifying that not all investments have a positive impact. Some investments may jeopardize the jobs of Canadians. Foreign takeovers of Canadian businesses are often positive, but that's not always the case.
In addition, we want to ensure that, when Canada takes steps abroad to attract investors, we encourage compliance with our labour and environmental laws. We have to make it clear that we take the protection of the environment and our workers very seriously. Canada is not a country where anyone can invest as they see fit, with no restrictions.
As part of our efforts to attract investors, there is nothing preventing this from being applied without it being specifically set out in the act, but I think that including it makes it more explicit, clearer. So investors are advised in advance that, if they want to invest here, it will be for the benefit of Canada, to protect jobs, workers and the environment, and that these conditions will be non-negotiable.
That is why I introduce my amendment. The idea is to add a paragraph to section 5 on the mission of the future Invest in Canada institution.