Mr. Speaker, today I am presenting a petition concerning the social responsibilities of mining companies. The petitioners are asking the government to urge the Secretary-General of the United Nations to develop an international mechanism for obtaining prior consent.
I hear concerns about mining companies on a regular basis. A young student, Mrs. Elsie Kolko-Koyura, is calling on the Canadian government to protect the environment and to force Canadian mining companies to do the same in their mining operations abroad. The documentary Mirage of El Dorado clearly illustrates the problem.
The Conservative government is dragging its feet on this issue. In the meantime, the citizens of the San Felix Valley in Chile are seeing their water sources contaminated, while several rivers are drying up. Many African countries are facing similar situations.
It is time to take action to ensure that future generations will enjoy a socially and ecologically sustainable environment.