Madam Speaker, it was an interesting and well delivered speech by my colleague from Yukon. We have stirred up a great deal of interest in this issue. My colleagues from Timmins—James Bay and from Ottawa Centre and now my colleague from Yukon have all spoken to this issue which speaks to something deep inside. This resonates with a basic sense of Canadian fairness.
Perhaps my colleague could expand on an aspect of the bill that I find most interesting. It extends Canadian law beyond our domestic jurisdiction into the international arena. It might be one of those cases where Canada could lead by example, at least with the countries that are signatory to the protocol which is affected by this.
I think of Greece and its struggle to have the Elgin marbles repatriated to that country. I think of the Royal Museum in London, England which is the repository of literally thousands of cultural and religious artifacts from all around the world. I am not trying to overstate this, but they are being held selfishly by the British people with full recognition and knowledge of the cultural and heritage importance of those pieces.
My question for my colleague from the Yukon is more about a pattern that we see developing here, the precedent of extending Canadian values and Canadian laws beyond our domestic jurisdiction into the international arena.
I cite the one example of the tourism sex trade. Canadians can now be prosecuted under Canadian law in foreign lands if they are engaged in the sexual exploitation of children. I for one celebrate this idea and it is an excellent practice.
I would ask my colleague if he would agree with me that the principles such as those found in the Westray bill regarding criminal culpability for workplace accidents, that kind of legislation should apply to Canadian mining companies operating abroad in foreign countries. In other words, would he be willing to extend the same logic that applies to what we in this country believe is wrong to the foreign activities of Canadian mining companies when they are engaged abroad?