Canada’s pioneers would never have believed that an industry that helped build the nation — and which today accounts for 15% of national exports — would one day find its very survival open to question.
Yet this is what occurred in the House of Commons recently, when the Mining Association of Canada (MAC) urged the government to adopt policies that encourage, rather than deter, mining investment in this country. The presentation to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Natural Resources was made on behalf of 150 of Canada’s mining communities, representing hundreds of thousands of jobs.
George Miller, MAC president and spokesman for the grassroots Keep Mining in Canada campaign, said the goal was to provide “common sense, fiscally responsible solutions which will create a favorable climate for investment in Canadian mining.”
As a first step, Miller called for changes in the way mine reclamation funds are taxed. He also said the government could foster investment by offering incentives for exploration.
The committee was told that in 1992 and 1993, 44 Canadian mines closed while only 24 opened. In those same two years, there was a net loss of 6,450 jobs, and 1994 marked the fourth straight year during which industry employment fell. It was also noted that Canada dropped from first place to fourth in terms of attracting exploration capital — behind Latin America, Australia and the U.S.
The industry urged the government to improve the investment climate by addressing land access and land-use difficulties, high taxation rates in some jurisdictions, and regulatory processes that delay and complicate decision-making.
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