Michael Ignatieff said last week there are "some problems" with a high-profile Liberal private member's bill meant to hold mining, oil and gas corporations responsible for their actions overseas. Its author, MP John McKay, confirmed the mining industry - whose "reach" includes his own party's leadership - has been lobbying hard against that bill. But, when pressed, Mr. Ignatieff was unclear as to what changes he'd like to see made to C-300 - which has been supported by the New Democrats and the Bloc Quebecois and opposed by the Tories.
Speaking to a town hall meeting at the University of Victoria, the Liberal leader said, "It's absolutely essential to our honour as a country that we have good corporate citizens" - proudly citing Mr. McKay's bill as an example of how the Liberals have "taken a lead" on the issue.
"We don't want to exploit labour, we don't want to beat up union activists and militants and we want to make sure that the forms of mining that we develop overseas are environmentally and socially sustainable and have a decent return to the communities that they're a part of," he stated, telling the audience his party is "willing to look at any legislative mechanism" that will do just that.
But he said there are "some problems" with Mr. McKay's effort, which give the ministers of foreign affairs and international trade the responsibility to receive and, if merited, investigate complaints against such firms.
Asked for details about how that bill could be made better, Mr. Ignatieff told Public Eye, "We want to make sure that our foreign affairs officials in other countries are able to monitor the work of our resource extractors in foreign countries without tying these guys in knots."
"Liberals believe in balance," he continued, adding he wants "encourage our big companies to be champions overseas and to be good citizens overseas."
So does that mean the bill, in its present state, is too onerous?
His handler appeared to try to cut-off that line of questioning before Ignatieff himself put a bullet in it.
"Let's go to another question," the Liberal leader said, "We've got work to do. I don't want to get lost in the weeds on this bill."
For his part, Mr. McKay said he wants to ensure the bill's complaint process will be "fair to all sides" rather than being a "kangaroo court" - an issue that would likely be dealt with in regulation not legislation.
But, in response to Mr. Ignatieff's statement, he said he "would not perceive C-300 as tying anyone in knots."
Nevertheless, the Scarborough-Guildwood parliamentarian said the mining industry has been "spending tens of thousands of dollars on various visits with MPs to tell them this bill was the end of Western civilization as we know it."
Despite that lobbying, Mr. McKay estimated 90 percent of his caucus supports the legislation.
"But you can never, ever underestimate the reach of the mining industry - including the reach into caucus and the Liberal leadership."
Mr. McKay said he's developed a series of amendments to C-300 with Liberal foreign affairs critic Bob Rae - amendments that will "actually strength the bill and clarify the bill."
Those amendments will be introduced when parliament returns.
And once that happens, the MP said his hope is the "quid quo pro be vigorous support (for the bill) on the part of the entire caucus."
The following is a transcript of the exchange that led to Mr. Ignatieff's saying there were "some problems" with Mr. McKay's legislation.
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Mark Brown Hi Michael. I'm Mark Brown. I'm a fourth year student and I work with Engineers Without Borders...I just want to throw it out to you how you feel (if) by 2017 we can get to a place where Canadians are regulating the firms that are harvesting resources not just in Canada but overseas in more fragile communities?
Mr. Ignatieff Thank you for that question. It's a question about social responsibility. Can I just open with a little parenthesis? Every single meeting that I've attended this week there's been someone from Engineers Without Borders. So you guys must be doing something right. Anyway, welcome. And I hope you guys are in Haiti because they sure do need engineers - that's what they desperately need right now. On the question of corporate social responsibility, as you may or may not know one of the members of my caucus - Liberal member John McKay - has put forward a bill advocating a federal mechanism to require Canadian companies to report on their human rights performance overseas. There's some problems with the bill. It's a private members bill. But I'm proud that our caucus has taken a lead here. We have mining companies - just to take that example - around the world. We have them in Congo, we have them in Columbia, we have them in Peru, we have them all over the world. It's absolutely essential to our honour as a country - our reputation as human rights defenders - that we have good corporate citizens. And my party is willing to look at any legislative mechanism that will demand that they be accountable. Corporate social responsibility is about accountability. I think it's appropriate for our big mining companies - and they're a source of pride to us; I'm in favour of Canadian mining and exploration in other countries - but we don't want to exploit labour, we don't want to beat up union activists and militants and we want to make sure that the forms of mining that we develop overseas are environmentally and socially sustainable and have a decent return to the communities that they're a part of. And McKay's bill is part of that effort. And when we're in government, I think this is a challenge your generation is giving to us to which we need to respond.
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