Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
I'd like to thank all of you for coming to present, and the fellows there in my city of Edmonton for joining us.
If you have looked at the record, you're probably aware that we've received briefs and submissions from other people, and I might refer to those, as well. World Vision, the Canadian Bar Association, and so forth have all submitted very good briefs.
One thing I noted was the great effort taken by the miners and prospectors along with non-governmental organizations to work together and come up with joint proposals for a form. Kudos to you for doing that.
What I really noted was your early submissions and, based on your submissions here today, the abject failure of the government to actually listen to your very sound recommendations. I speak specifically about your recommendations to be consistent with U.S. and European laws. I've taken the opportunity to study those, since this is important because the government is alleging they are doing this to be consistent with our trading partners, to be fair, and to have a level playing field for our Canadian corporations operating here and in other countries.
You may or may not be aware that we have also received a submission from the United States Senate, who seem to be concurring with a lot of the recommendations made today, particularly that project-by-project reporting be publicly accessible and that there be no host company exemptions.
Sadly—and thanks for your analyses on this—if we look at the bill before us, those basic provisions do not appear to be reflected. It is not allowing for, as you recommend, project-by-project reporting. There are broad exceptions and waivers, which the E.U. are very strongly saying they do not want to allow. It's seems very clear, looking at the European and U.S. legislation and at the presentations by the Canadian Bar, by mining and prospectors, and by the non-governmental organizations, that it's very important for the law to require that the information be provided, particularly for the communities adjacent to or centred in these mining or oil and gas activities so they are able to receive the information and so that in fact we do avoid corruption and they can track payments that should be made.
I guess my question to any or all of you is, based on the reforms you're identifying and the inadequacies in the bill, whether you stand by those and whether you would recommend those changes be made before the bill goes forward and is voted on.