Foreign Affairs committee  I know there have been other submissions. I think Robert Wisner from McMillan presented a legal treatise on these issues, but basically it's extraterritorial. I think the government could only proceed to send people into another country with the consent of that other jurisdiction

Foreign Affairs committee  That's the risk you face. It's a flawed investigation, yet the complaint is still there. It stands out there, yet the information gathering is flawed.

Foreign Affairs committee  If there's a finding, yes.

Foreign Affairs committee  Could I address that? First of all, I take issue when you say that we all know there are companies out there that don't want to comply. I do not think that's the case. I think every company that's out there is looking to do the best they possibly can. There are difficult situati

Foreign Affairs committee  I'm sure they're not unfounded complaints, but again, are the complaints against Canadian mining companies, directly related to what they're doing? Are they indirectly towards what other people are doing? These are allegations, and I think there needs to be a fair process to have

Foreign Affairs committee  Thank you. I guess the question really relates to what's currently on the table with Building the Canadian Advantage as compared to Bill C-300. I think that's what it comes down to. I just think the current bill is not workable. I don't know how you could even make amendments t

Foreign Affairs committee  I think the question was directed to me. There was a series of questions there.

Foreign Affairs committee  I'll take perhaps the first part of it. I think one part dealt with the counsellor and one dealt with EDC percentage of financing. Maybe one of the companies can talk about that. I think the last point was dealing with....

Foreign Affairs committee  I'm happy to start with that. I think, Mr. Rae, what you've described with some of those institutions, EDC or the IFC, are processes that of course every company would take seriously. Those institutions would have their due diligence processes to go through, CSR standards, and

Foreign Affairs committee  To add to what's in the newspapers now, to be able to say that that particular company is now subject to a complaint before a minister, elevates to a whole new level how it will be perceived in the rest of the world.

Foreign Affairs committee  This bill doesn't propose any sort of counsellor.

Foreign Affairs committee  Yes, there is a counsellor with the government, but I'm talking about the bill. The counsellor process now probably needs to be further designed, but at least it's a remedial process. It's a mediated process in which both parties can come together to discuss the issue. It's a w

Foreign Affairs committee  I would like to conclude by describing two different scenarios. The current economic environment in Canada in our successful mining sector is embodied in the following invitation to mining companies and investors: “Come to Canada, or stay in Canada, because we have developed mine

Foreign Affairs committee  Thank you, Raymond. Mr. Chairman, ladies and gentlemen, my name is Michael Bourassa. It's a privilege to be here today. I feel very strongly about this issue. Canada has excelled in international exploration and mining. We are recognized by our competitors for that success. I'