Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you very much for being here, ladies and gentlemen.
I first want to make a comment.
Given the two submissions we have here about the lack of consultation with the mining industry, and given, Mr. Peterson, your and Mr. Chrétien's expertise, both in government service and now in the mining industry, I am horrified that there's been so little consultation.
Both of you say here, “To our knowledge not one...company was consulted with respect of [the drafting of] the bill”, and the executive summary says, “We respectfully submit, however, that the Bill...was proposed without any consultation of any sort with any extractive company or industry association....” I find that disturbing, to say the least.
But what I want to ask is this. The other day we started on this in a way, but Mr. Chrétien, perhaps you can go on. The other day we heard what I would say were some damning accusations about Barrick Gold from one of the witnesses. They said the company was standoffish, resistant, aggressive, and dangerous:
I and my closest staff were personally and physically threatened.... My children were threatened, my office was wiretapped, my staff was bought, and the public officials who once controlled Barrick for me became paid employees of Barrick Gold.
It's inflammatory towards the companies, but my question is, if Bill C-300 were in place, what would happen to a mining industry wherein those accusations were brought forward?
Mr. Chrétien, perhaps you could go on to say what you wanted to say to Ms. Lalonde.