Thank you very much, Michael.
In addition to some of the concerns just noted by Michael Bourassa, this bill would also place an investigative burden, a huge one, on the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of International Trade, a burden that could create severe financial pressures for those ministries.
How could a minister investigate multiple complaints in countries abroad without incurring significant costs and without establishing a new agency just for that purpose? The present department of external affairs is simply not equipped to deal with the challenges of this bill.
This bill could also cause diplomatic pressures for Canada. A Canadian mining company's ability to work with its own government to remedy a situation would be impaired. Often in situations that arise currently, our ambassadors, our trade commissioners, liaise with host governments and provide guidance to Canadian companies. But once a complaint is filed, the role of our foreign service would change from a collaborative problem-solving mode to that of investigator. A Canadian mining company would be cut loose and left to fend for itself. We would be doing a disservice to our citizens abroad and to our own economic interest.
Also, investigations abroad have the potential to strain relations with other sovereign states. In my view, this bill is simply not workable. A minister may be placed in the highly awkward diplomatic situation of carrying out investigations in the absence of consent or trying to duplicate the efforts of a host country. This, in my view, would impact Canada's relationship and influence with other countries, especially those with whom Canada is working to advance CSR.