Advocates are calling on Ottawa to profoundly change the powers of the watchdog who monitors Canadian corporations operating abroad, as the Liberals review how a new ombudsman should take on the job.

91裸聊视频淲e have communities that are suffering human-rights and environmental harms, because of the operations of Canadian companies outside of Canada,91裸聊视频� said Karen Hamilton, director of the advocacy group Above Ground.

The Trudeau government replaced a monitor for the mining sector five years ago with what it called the Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise, or CORE.

Originally, the Liberals said the watchdog would have the power to compel documents and testimony. But the government left those powers out of the mandate when it launched the role in 2019.

It also constrained the office91裸聊视频檚 work to the mining, petroleum and garment sectors, despite describing the role as having a wider mandate.

The first ombudsperson, Sheri Meyerhoffer, completed her five-year term on-schedule last week.

Global Affairs Canada has announced that one of its on-staff lawyers, Masud Husain, would be her interim replacement. But the office of Trade Minister Mary Ng later said he will be Meyerhoffer91裸聊视频檚 full successor following an official cabinet order.

Ottawa has also announced a review of the position, saying it will decide later this week whether to change the scope of the office. Hamilton said that91裸聊视频檚 an opportunity to go beyond 91裸聊视频渉alf-measures91裸聊视频� and give the role some teeth.

91裸聊视频淚f we don91裸聊视频檛 improve the CORE, we spent a lot of money on an office that doesn91裸聊视频檛 accomplish very much when it has the potential to,91裸聊视频� she said.

Her group is part of the Canadian Network on Corporate Accountability, which for years argued that Ottawa needs to empower the watchdog with the ability to compel documents and testimony. Meyerhoffer herself has argued for such powers.

Meyerhoffer only launched her first investigations last summer 91裸聊视频� four years into her mandate 91裸聊视频� and completed just one case in March, finding a Vancouver firm had not done enough to prevent possible slave labour in China.

Hamilton noted that this investigation included a statement from Meyerhoffer that 91裸聊视频渋s quite buried in the website91裸聊视频� and wasn91裸聊视频檛 part of the press release sent to reporters.

In the statement, Meyerhoffer noted the 91裸聊视频渆normous potential to strengthen91裸聊视频� her role, and she said that not being able to compel documents or testimony from the company she was investigating made it hard to tell what the firm was actually doing.

91裸聊视频淕overnment can and should better equip the CORE to fulfil its mandate,91裸聊视频� she wrote.

91裸聊视频淭he ombudsperson must be able to uncover why, and how, companies are falling short of their responsibilities. We need to hear it directly from them, and we need to share that information with the public.91裸聊视频�

Liberal MP John McKay publicly confronted Ng in 2021 about why his government reneged on allowing Meyerhoffer to compel evidence. He is now hoping the government follows through.

91裸聊视频淭he next CORE officeholder needs the capacity to compel the production of documents and the testimony of witnesses, and hopefully the Government of Canada will include these necessary powers,91裸聊视频� he wrote on the platform X.

He added that Meyerhoffer did 91裸聊视频渁n impressive job91裸聊视频� in conducting professional investigations.

Days before finishing her role, Meyerhoffer also convinced activists to withdraw a complaint accusing Hugo Boss of forced labour. She wrote that her announcement of an investigation led to informal mediation, where the company 91裸聊视频減rovided a satisfactory response or remedy to their allegations,91裸聊视频� though she didn91裸聊视频檛 provide more detail.

Meyerhoffer also announced a development in her probe against Canadian mining firm GobiMin Inc., which divested its assets in the Xinjiang region of China where there were allegations of Uyghur slave labour, 91裸聊视频渢o a buyer who made public commitments to respecting international human rights.91裸聊视频�

Yet Hamilton said the government can91裸聊视频檛 rely on companies to do the right thing.

91裸聊视频淚f you cannot compel companies to produce testimony and documents, many companies will not engage meaningfully.91裸聊视频�

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Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press