Mr. Chair, distinguished members of the committee, it is a pleasure to appear again before this committee. This is the first time since I left the public service in 2003.
Here are a few comments on the subject on the order of the day. Like other witnesses already said, Canadian mining companies should be accountable and they should thus act responsibly throughout the world. But the concern my colleagues and I share is that this bill takes a punitive approach rather than a multilateral one, based on cooperation. I would like it better if the bill were designed to help the resource industry improve its performance in the area of corporate social responsibility and, by the same token, improve the competitive advantage of Canada in the world in the area of mining.
Mining in developing countries is often accompanied by unpredictability and difficulty, especially if a company is operating in a weak governance zone. In such uncertain environments, CSR challenges can arise and do arise. If passed, this bill could deter companies from working in less stable developing countries. This bill, in my view, does not provide companies with any opportunity to address and remedy an issue without immediately being subject to a complaint, possible investigation, and sanctions.
If responsible Canadian companies are deterred from investing abroad, it could negatively impact important foreign development opportunities. In my time serving as Canada's ambassador to a number of developing countries that have mining sectors, including, inter alia, Mexico and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, I've observed many times that Canadian mining companies very often contributed to improved health, education, and infrastructure in those countries. They were thus welcomed and well regarded for such investments.