Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you to all the witnesses for being here and hello to my colleagues.
We have the pleasure of discussing this matter, although I'm not sure “pleasure” is the right word.
I have had the opportunity to visit mining regions in Chile and Colombia. That is why I insisted that the committee conduct this study. I have heard stories of local populations being driven out, water and air being poisoned, and persons allegedly being assassinated by the private security services of these mining companies. These projects are often accepted by local populations in exchange for promises of jobs. They are often empty promises, however, because the mining companies also bring in their own staff.
My question is for Ms. Coumans, from MiningWatch Canada. Please be concise because I have a number of questions for you.
First of all, is it true that in many cases these mining companies are Canadian on paper only? In fact, the legal and tax environment in Canada, as well as the speculative benefits of the Toronto Stock Exchange, make Canada a real flag of convenience for mining companies the world over who register here to obtain certain benefits.