By Paul Lefebvre, MP for Sudbury
The More we Get together, the Better Canadians Will Be.
This past weekend, at PDAC 2019 – the international mineral exploration & mining convention – our government joined with our provincial and territorial partners to launch the Canadian Minerals and Metals Plan (CMMP).
I’m very proud of this plan. It covers issues that are key to a successful and modern minerals and metals industry: competitiveness, the participation of Indigenous Peoples, community benefits, respect for the environment, scientific and technological innovation, and global leadership.
All of these objectives are familiar to us here in Sudbury and Northern Ontario, where responsible mineral exploration, production and processing have become second nature. These are priorities shared by the key stakeholders in the sector across the country. We know this because we worked extensively with industry organizations, as well as environmental groups, labour organizations, and municipalities to create this plan.
This is critical because in this global market, in 2019, doing nothing or pursuing 14 different strategies is simply not an option. As other countries take action to support their own mining industries, Canada must do more than keep pace. In fact, we must lead.
We must continue to deliver best in class products, backed by our rich natural resources and Canadian expertise.
To accomplish this, in a country like Canada, we need all orders of government to work together to meet the needs of Canadians. The Government of Canada and the governments of the provinces and territories share this responsibility. Whether it is building major infrastructure projects, the team Canada approach to negotiating NAFTA 2.0, or creating plans that lay the foundation for the success of industries it is clear that the more we cooperate the more we can accomplish.
Unfortunately, last weekend, the governments of Saskatchewan and Ontario refused to sign onto the CMMP. Rather than joining eight other provinces, three territories and the federal government in embracing a document to support our mining industry - and more importantly, the 634,000 direct and indirect jobs that rely on mining - Doug Ford refused.
This is despite the fact that Northern Ontario, and Sudbury in particular, are home to the mines of today and tomorrow. Canadian mining companies and their workers are literally mining the building blocks of innovation: from copper, nickel and cobalt for electric cars, to aluminum for wind turbines to lithium for solar panels. These leaders, innovators and workers deserve our full support, not political posturing.
Of course, reasonable people, and certainly governments, can have different views on a plan. However, it is clear from the statement issued by these governments that they have no problem whatsoever with the content of the CMMP.
To justify their unnecessary and partisan opposition to the CMMP, these governments cite their opposition to Bill C-69, a Bill to rebuild trust in major project approvals, and putting a price on pollution. This is despite the fact that neither of these measures are even mentioned in the CMMP, and despite the fact that the Mining Association of Canada, the national voice for the mining industry, supports both.
Canadians expect governments to put aside partisan differences and work together for the good. As noted, eight provincial governments governed by Liberal, New Democratic, and conservative parties did just that by signing the CMMP. It is disappointing that this is something that Doug Ford and his government refused to do.
I believe our industries are stronger when partners work together. With or without the support of the government of Ontario, our government is committed working with industry partners to ensure Canada’s place in the world as a mining technology and innovation leader.
Paul Lefebvre is the MP for Sudbury and the parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources.
