Mr. Speaker, on behalf of Development and Peace-Caritas Canada, today, I am pleased to present a petition that has been signed by residents of my beautiful riding of Madawaska—Restigouche. The petitioners are calling on Parliament to pass a law on Canadian companies operating abroad.
This law would require such companies to prevent adverse human rights impacts and environmental damage throughout their global operations and supply chains.
It would require companies do their due diligence, including by carefully assessing how they may be contributing to human rights abuse or environmental damage abroad and by providing access to remedy when harms occur.
It would provide for meaningful consequences for companies that fail to carry out and report on adequate due diligence.
Finally, it would establish a legal right for people who have been harmed to seek justice in Canadian courts.