Foreign Affairs committee  I would think it would be very damning if a company refused to be investigated in light of a serious allegation.

Foreign Affairs committee  The politics of any ministerial decision will be there in the House in question period for as long as people want to play politics with it. That's one of the problems of having the minister investigate, because the whole investigation itself would be subject to political scrutiny

Foreign Affairs committee  Without putting words in Mr. McKay's mouth, referring to the limitation when you talk about a private member's bill, I'm sure that he would have wanted a tribunal that had all of the attributes of fairness and transparency and due process. If you're asking us to say ombudsman, y

Foreign Affairs committee  —that are attached to it.

Foreign Affairs committee  And the resources necessary to protect the rights of our companies, as well as people around the world.

Foreign Affairs committee  No, but it would depend on the specifics.

Foreign Affairs committee  We have found this in everything we do globally. We are a part of the global economy par excellence, more than almost any other economy in the world. So we have to be globally competitive. Are we going to be the only country in the world that goes after its own mining companies a

Foreign Affairs committee  I would say that all of us should be concerned about CSR. It's human rights, it's the environment, it's the future. What is the very best way to achieve that? Is it this bill? I think this bill is very well intentioned, okay? It's inspiring a great debate here, on the Hill and el

Foreign Affairs committee  Unfortunately not, because if you're going to have an impartial tribunal, it's going to require expenses.

Foreign Affairs committee  Mr. Goldring, I am very proud to be here. I must tell you, it's much more formidable being on this side of the table than it used to be sitting there. But I'm here because our firm has been recognized--

Foreign Affairs committee  Very much so. I have absolutely no qualms about what we're saying. I will tell you where I do have some qualms. It concerns what Ms. Deschamps and Ms. Lalonde said. True enough, there allegations about horrible things everywhere. But... if we're going to be the only ones to g

Foreign Affairs committee  My immediate reaction on reading it was what would I do as a lawyer in order to have a level playing field on a global basis. If you have a Canadian head office with, say, a mine in Canada, a mine in the United States, and a mine in a developing country--

Foreign Affairs committee  I would. I would have to, in those circumstances—

Foreign Affairs committee  —because I would be denied EDC financing and would be subject to a different regime, because I'm Canadian, than all of the other people in the world. Surely our goal is to work on a very collaborative and constructive basis with developing countries and other nations in the worl

Foreign Affairs committee  Mr. Chairman and honourable members, thank you very much. It's indeed a pleasure to be here. I had the privilege of serving some 23 years, and also as Minister of International Trade. I am now very pleased to be counsel to Fasken Martineau. With me today are two of my colleagues,