Well, I don't agree with the starting premise that Canadian industry is in the business of delivering abuse abroad. I'd begin from a very different starting point, that we're in the business of trying to do the very best we possibly can in development outcomes.
Things like the free trade agreement we signed with Chile have provisions for side agreements on the environment, and yes, they do include investor protection, etc. Those tools help raise standards in those developing countries, or other countries, Colombia being an example. The Government of Canada is in the process of pursuing a number of foreign investment protection agreements as well. These tools provide at least some protections for industry and investors, but large elements of them are directed towards improving capacity and governance.
When we had the side deal with Chile and what we called the JPAC and the focus on improving environmental governance there and helping them raise their own standards and to improve their enforcement capacity--that's the type of bilateral relationship we believe works best.
The other reality, and we should not forget this, is that Canadian companies want to work with NGOs. NGOs have a lot of skills that we don't have, particularly in the social area. In working with us—and there are many that do—they can help us make sure that development meets the needs of local communities, that benefits actually flow through and are captured at the local level. Because we're in the mining business, we do need to be working with governments and we do need to be working with civil society to improve those outcomes.
Is this bill an added element to all of that? In our view, in light of the government's response to the CSR round table, this bill is redundant.