Thank you, Chair.
And thank you, Mr. McKay, for being here today and for your initiative.
You are aware of what SEMA is, the Special Economic Measures Act. It's interesting to note that when others say we normally don't intervene with companies vis-à-vis their economic investments overseas, this government invokes SEMA. In fact, this government brought forward SEMA, and in fact what it does is restrict investment. And that, of course, is out of cabinet.
So I want to put on the record that the whole notion that governments act for the benefit of people overseas when it comes to Canadian investment is not only something that is done, but also that it was this government that has done it. And I was one of the ones who pushed to do that in Burma, along with colleagues.
I don't know, but is this government saying that if a company says everything is fine in Burma, then we just look the other way? The last time I checked, things weren't fine in Burma—and they're not fine in the Congo.
And I want to touch on what's happening in the United States, because right now there's a piece of legislation there that, it could be argued, is a lot stronger than your modest private member's bill—which I fully support, and I thank you for bringing forward. It actually is going to trace where minerals are coming from. And they're in fact looking at something analogous to what we Canadians put together with the Kimberley process on blood diamonds. They'll be looking at blood coltan and other things.
So I have to say that I'm really surprised at the reaction you're getting. It is a modest bill. As you mentioned, the round table report represents a consensus of business opinion, and Mr. Abbott should know that. He should read it. It's worthy reading. Read who was there. Business was there. Civil society was there. It took this government two years to make recommendations, and you are absolutely right in saying they go nowhere in terms of being as strong.
Mr. McKay, if Mr. Abbott, for instance, thinks everything is fine, then he shouldn't have a problem with your process. If there's no problem, then this is something that companies should welcome.
I just want to get an opinion from you, Mr. McKay. If you see the opposition to your modest bill going forward, do you think it's a matter of us policy-makers just not getting it, that we just don't know what's going on around the world? I ask because I could, for instance, spend far too much time telling you about what I heard in the Congo. And what I heard in the Congo, Mr. McKay, was that we need to do this. What they asked me in the Congo was, why are your companies coming in here and making money and handing over money to militias who are taking lives? Some of the worst incidents of violence against females right now are connected to our mining operations—and you can't wash that away.
So I would ask you, Mr. McKay, if you think the opposition to this is a matter of ignorance, or is this a matter of people just thinking governments shouldn't be involved in this? And if they think that, then I'd ask them to look up SEMA and ask why we are invoking SEMA in places like Burma.