Mineral industry must be aggressive agenda-setter

Participants at a recent seminar hosted by the Centre for Resource Studies in Toronto were told the Canadian mining industry must become an agenda-setter rather than an agenda item if it wants to maintain its place in the Canadian economy and compete internationally.

The seminar brought together a diverse group of people from industry, government and universities to discuss the future of the Canadian mining industry in an ever changing political climate.

Speakers stressed that Canada needs new mineral discoveries to provide a stable and reliable base for our economy. But, Canada’s mining industry is in trouble, as profits, investments and reserves are declining. Mining has become a low-priority issue on the Canadian government’s agenda. The Canadian mineral industry, the seminar was told, faces restricted access to land, withdrawal of support programs, increasing regulatory processes, increasing taxes and growing pressure from environmental groups who appear to be gearing up for an all-out war on mining.

When it comes to government policy, the industry is not calling for subsidies or lax regulations. It is seeking cost-effective, rational and constructive policies.

Industry must also realize that environmental issues are here to stay. Many environmental extremist groups do not necessarily want to destroy Canadian mining. Their goals are mainly quality-of-life issues.

The seminar concluded that the industry needs to work with both the government and the public to develop policies that will help it prosper in these increasingly difficult times. It must also make more effective use of provincial and federal mining associations and lobby groups such as Save Our North to inform the public of its activities.