OTTAWA - A private member's bill introduced today by a New Democrat would force disclosure of agreements made with governments in foreign takeovers.
New Democrat MP Claude Gravelle also introduced legislation aimed specifically at the takeovers of Falconbridge and Inco in Sudbury, Ont.
Gravelle says foreign companies who make commitments when buying Canadian firms have to be held to those agreements.
He argues that Xstrata and Vale Inco haven't lived up to promises they made in the Sudbury takeovers.
The government refuses to disclose the agreements made in those cases.
Private member's bills rarely become law.
Gravelle says Xstrata and Vale Inco agreed not to lay off workers when they bought the two mining companies.
"Yet both have laid off hundreds of workers without consequence," he said. "The public have a right to know why these companies aren't being held to account."
Union representatives support Gravelle's legislation.
"The laws of Canada say these takeovers can only happen if there is a 'net benefit' to Canada," said Wayne Rae, a United Steelworkers local president from Sudbury.
"However, without the undertakings being public, Canadians, workers and our communities have no way to know if these multinationals have kept to their promises."
