EDITORIAL PAGE — Mr. Miner goes to Ottawa

Oct. 18 is “Lobby Day” for a group of mining industry representatives who will descend on Ottawa to deliver the “Keep Mining in Canada” message to as many members of Parliament as possible.

The strategy calls for groups of delegates to meet with MPs from the ridings in which those delegates have exploration or development projects. Later in the day, the industry representatives will have the opportunity to attend Question Period in the House of Commons, before resuming meetings with MPs throughout the afternoon.

Let us hope the politicians are better behaved than they were when, according to the old story, a patriotic Saskatchewan farmer took his son to Ottawa to witness government in action. It only took a few minutes of Question Period before the farmer — shocked by the bickering and name-calling — whisked his impressionable son as far away from those hallowed halls and “honorable” members as possible.

The trek to the nation’s capital is, of course, a good idea, although it unfortunately comes at a time when many federal politicians of all stripes will be preoccupied with the referendum in Quebec. This is, of course, an important issue. But the MPs should also remember that their constituents expect them to direct some of their efforts to providing a climate that encourages job creation within the mining sector.