Canada: Trying to Build Some Muscle

A House of Commons Debate for a proposed Act.
http://frankvaleriote.liberal.ca/files/2011/01/Frank-Valeriote-Speech-Bill-C-300-September-20-2010.pdf


The Canadian Government has opened it eyes to the issue of companies going overseas and taking advantage of developing countries, in particular in mining, oil and gas sector. Francis Valeriote, a Guelph MPP, stood up in the House of Commons on September 20th, 2010 and proposed an act called ‘Corporate Accountability of Mining, Oil and Gas Corporations in Developing Countries Act”.

The numbers of companies that going overseas to developing countries is growing due to the cheap labour that can be used and abused. Canada used to be perceived as a great country but its reputation has slide down hill in the aspect that Canadian companies are doing business similar to the USA in the aspect of going into other countries and using them for their resources not caring about the repercussions.

Cutting off funding towards companies that are found guilty of violating, the act being proposed, would give a severe consequence on what else would have been disciplined by a simple slap on the wrist or a fine that is nothing compared to the millions of dollars that are being made off of the developing countries that are not receiving anything in return.


No matter how much money is donated towards a fund because someone is being mistreated does nothing in comparison towards actually doing something and making the companies accountable for their actions and to make it steep enough that they will learn a lesson to deter them from doing those actions again.

Hilary Gray