Canadian gold miners fight foreign bill

OTTAWA, Nov. 26 (UPI) -- Three Canadian gold mining companies are battling a parliamentary bill that would restrict work in countries with poor environmental or human rights records.

Bill C-300, sponsored by a Liberal Member of Parliament, would give the government the right to withhold taxpayer-funded financing to companies doing business in, or exporting to countries with questionable rights and environmental practices, the Globe and Mail reported Thursday.

Various interest groups allege mining activities in such countries as Guatemala, Honduras and Argentina created and support corruption, bribery and physical intimidation, the report said.

Barrick Gold Corp., Goldcorp Inc., and Kinross Gold Corp. submitted a joint statement to Parliament calling the allegations "frivolous and vexatious," and warned there would be an exodus of international mining companies from Canada if the bill were enacted.

If passed, the bill would deny federal financing to offshore projects by Export Development Canada and ban investment by the Canada Pension Plan in companies involved in the suspect countries, the report said.