OTTAWA � On the eve of the Prime Minister�s visit to Colombia and Chile, the NDP is demanding that Stephen Harper end his government�s stonewalling on proposed Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) legislation to fight human rights and environmental abuses by Canadian extractive companies doing business in South America.

�If Harper is serious about a constructive role for Canada in this part of the world, let him prove it to citizens here in Canada and communities across Central and South America through concrete actions,� said NDP Foreign Affairs Critic Alexa McDonough. �He should start by implementing new and robust standards of Corporate Social Responsibility for Canadian companies operating in the developing world.�

The NDP issued the challenge four months after the release of the long-awaited, government-commissioned Final Report on Corporate Social Responsibility. Following roundtable discussions across the country, industry and civil society leaders reached an historic consensus on new standards for corporate social and environmental conduct. �The government promised a response to the report two weeks after its March 29 release,� said McDonough. �Four months later, we�re still waiting for a response. That�s not acceptable to the NDP, who has fought strenuously for this legislation. Neither is it acceptable to the many South Americans drastically affected by Canadian companies who violate these corporate social responsibilities.�

In Chile, the Prime Minister has arranged to meet with representatives of Canadian mining giant Barrick Gold. Representatives from a Chilean NGO from the Pascua Lama region requested to meet with Mr. Harper on this tour, to discuss the devastating environmental effects of Barrick�s mining operations on their community, but they are still waiting for a response to their request.

�Harper�s Conservatives issue bold statements about democratic development and human rights in South and Central America. But when it comes to Canada�s impact in their communities, Canadian corporate citizens � with the help of government subsidies, diplomacy and tax breaks � often destroy lives and livelihoods, not improve them.�