OTTAWA—Indigenous leaders from Papua New Guinea came to Parliament Hill today to urge MPs to support legislation to clamp down on the practices of Canadian mining firms operating in the developing world.

The members of the Ipili tribe have been asking Barrick Gold Corp. to address allegations of human rights abuses and environmental degradation at the Barrick-controlled Porgera gold mine.

But Toronto-based Barrick has denied allegations of human rights abuses, saying such violations are not tolerated at the Porgera mine. Barrick also says it operates on a code of corporate social responsibility and that its mining ventures benefit local residents in developing countries.

At a press conference, Mark Ekepa, chair of the Porgera Landowners Association, said his group would like Barrick to pay to resettle the landowners living in the mine lease area in Papua New Guinea.

“Our waters are contaminated, our land is degraded by the mine and we don’t have enough land left to grow our food,” Ekepa said. “We are worried about our health because the waste from the mine is all around us.

“On top of that, we are threatened and harassed by the mine’s security forces and by our own military that is supporting the mine,” he continued.

Since Barrick has not agreed to resettle the homeowners, Ekepa said, he hopes Canada will pass Bill C-300, the proposed legislation to tighten regulation of Canadian mining firms overseas.

“Our only hope is that the Canadian people and the Canadian government will hear our plea,” Ekepa said. If the legislation passes, the indigenous groups from Papua New Guinea would be able to file a complaint and seek sanction against Barrick in Canada, Ekepa told reporters.

Bill C-300, a private members’ bill brought forward by Toronto MP John McKay, will be the subject of hearings at the Commons foreign affairs committee next week.

The legislation if passed would break new ground internationally. Many of the world’s large multinational mining and minerals companies are headquartered in Canada and the bill is believed to be the first attempt by any government to establish regulatory control over mining firms doing business abroad.

The bill would empower the foreign affairs minister to develop corporate social responsibility guidelines for the conduct of Canada’s resource companies. Based on those standards, any Canadian resident or a resident of a country in which a Canadian extractive company is operating could launch a complaint to Ottawa. A company found to have breached the guidelines would be denied federal government financial support for its foreign enterprises.

The leaders from Papua New Guinea cited a recent Amnesty International report that documents a 2009 incident in which police burned down 130 buildings and forced families living near the Porgera mine from their homes. Amnesty said it was not alleging that Barrick or other companies were responsible for the police violence or forced evictions. But Amnesty did question whether Barrick and its partners responded adequately when they became aware of the police activity.

At the time of the February report by Amnesty, Barrick issued a statement denying responsibility for the police action. The company also said it reacted forcefully, engaging with the police and community and helping to establish an independent watchdog to monitor the situation at the Porgera mine. Barrick also said Amnesty’s report did not address complex social issues—including tribal fighting and gun violence—that led to the police deployment.