Bill C-300, the “Corporate Accountability of Mining, Oil and Gas Corporations in Developing Countries Act”, was introduced as a Private Member's bill in February 2009 (initially solely to prompt the government to respond to the CSR Roundtable process).

While the objective of improving CSR performance is laudable, this bill, written with no consultation with the mining industry, in fact will likely work counter to that objective. There are fundamental flaws in the bill, and its main proponents seem more interested in attacking Canadian mining companies than in improving CSR performance.

This bill ignores the leadership of the Canadian mining industry in CSR and threatens to make Canadian mining companies lightening rods for the anti-mining lobby (with no penalty whatsoever for making repeated untrue or frivolous complaints).

The bill would require the Ministers of of Foreign Affairs and International Trade to investigate any complaint raised against a Canadian mining company, and requires EDC and CPP to withdraw financing and Foreign Affairs to reduce consular support to any company/project that the Ministers find is acting “inconsistently” with CSR “guidelines.

The Proroguing of Parliament does not stop Private Member's Bills. The bill passed second reading in the House of Commons and will resume with Foreign Affairs and International Development Committee hearings when Parliament resumes. Following the committee hearings the Bill will be returned to the House for a third vote before it goes to the Senate for a vote.

This bill has taken on a political momentum that may well result in the passing of the bill despite its substantial flaws.

We in the Canadian mining industry need to speak up. Mining companies and organizations are speaking up, but getting little acceptance from the opposition parties supporting the bill.

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