ONE Welcomes Introduction of Anti-Corruption Legislation in Canada

OTTAWA – The ONE Campaign welcomes the introduction of draft legislation in Canada that would establish new mandatory reporting standards for oil, gas, and mining companies. The bill is similar to laws passed in the European Union and United States.

Canada has more than 2,000 oil, gas, and mining companies that operate in more than 100 countries around the world.

Tom Hart, North American Executive Director of ONE, said:

This draft bill in Canada marks a significant step forward in the global effort to fight corruption by establishing an international standard for the extractive industries. We commend the Canadian government for demonstrating its desire to be a global leader in empowering citizens around the world with information that they can use to hold governments accountable.

The transformative potential of natural resources like oil, gas, and minerals – if used effectively – is enormous. Revenues from these resources offer the promise of financing social investments and boosting economic growth. But, all too often, their economic potential is squandered through government corruption and mismanagement, both of which are enabled by secrecy. Greater transparency can help ensure that resource revenues are invested in social services, like improved schools and hospitals that improve people’s lives and lift them out of extreme poverty.

We look forward to working with Canadian leaders to achieve the strongest law possible, including ensuring that the law includes project-level disclosure, a point critical for rooting out corruption and for aligning the Canadian law with those already on the books in the EU and US.