Mr. Speaker, many serious allegations have been made regarding the behaviour and actions of Canadian companies abroad. I have heard accounts from abroad regarding cases of violence against local populations, water pollution and contaminated air. Simply put, the Trudeau government, which is still in office under another name, supposedly created the position of Canadian ombudsperson for responsible enterprise to address this problem.
Unfortunately, this is a shell of an organization that receives complaints but cannot conduct its own investigations. It also lacks independence and the power to compel testimony and order the production of documents.
That is why I am tabling this petition, which also calls on the government to appoint a new ombudsperson since the position has been vacant for a year. That makes the situation all the more unacceptable. The petition also calls on the government to give the ombudsman real authority to act.