Bill C-300 Heads Back To Standing Committee

When the House of Commons re-opens on March 3, 2010, Bill C-300 (the Corporate Accountability of Mining, Oil and Gas Corporations in Developing Countries Act) will be back in front of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development for 60 days.

Unlike government bills, which ceased to exist when the government prorogued Parliament on December 30, 2009, Bill C-300 survived because it was introduced by opposition MP John McKay (Liberal, Scarborough-Guildwood). At the time of prorogation, Bill C-300 had passed second reading last April by a vote of 137 to 133, and had been referred to the Standing Committee. The Bill had received the support of the NDP, the Bloc Québécois, and all but one Liberal MP. The Standing Committee met 12 times between May and December last year to hear submissions on the Bill. While the normal parliamentary rules would require Bill C-300 return to the beginning of its current stage (i.e., the Standing Committee stage),