RNNR Committee Report

Supplementary Opinion of the New Democratic Party

The mining sector continues to face challenges with many hard working Canadians from coast to coast to coast being adversely affected. New Democrats recognize these challenges and have faithfully worked in this study to ensure the long-term sustainability of our resource sector and the well-being of those who work in it. We would like to thank our colleagues on the Natural Resources committee from the Liberal and Conservative parties for working together on this study in a constructive and collegial manner. As a result of that work, we believe this report is a strong reflection of our many shared concerns for this important sector to the Canadian Economy.

But we do have some areas of concern that require a stronger response or more attention. We have approached this study with some guiding principles that we believe are important to the future of our mining sector. Sustainability is crucial, including ensuring the application of the polluter-pay principle so that costs are not left to future generations. Partnership is required to make sure that communities, provinces and Indigenous peoples all benefit from mining development and that we create value-added, well paid jobs here in Canada.

Long-term prosperity must be our goal in leveraging our natural resource wealth to invest in modern, clean mining technology to keep Canada on the cutting edge of the mining sector. Testimony from the majority of witnesses, representing diverse backgrounds in the mining industry, academia and Indigenous governments and communities, raised many concerns that the majority report speaks to but that we feel require a stronger response.

We heard much testimony from industry representatives about the importance of stability to funding mechanisms offered by the Government of Canada. One specific example of this was the Mineral Exploration Tax Credit and the majority of witnesses who spoke to this issue recommended its continuation. We agree with this view and while we appreciate the majority report commending its renewal, we recommend that this credit either be made permanent or that the Government of Canada introduce a permanent replacement credit to give the same support to the mining sector. Continuing to renew this credit on an annual basis adds uncertainty to the mining sector that need not be there. Choosing a permanent path will help give the sector more of the certainty that they have asked for and will allow them to better plan their activities and potential projects going forward.

During testimony we heard a great deal from the majority of witness from all backgrounds about the importance of creating proper infrastructure to support mining activities and the communities in which they operate. We also heard unacceptable examples of infrastructure deficits, such as the lack of a proper electricity grid in Northwestern Ontario, which are hampering potential mining developments from becoming a reality. We refuse to believe that the majority of Canadians would accept that a major job-creating development could not go forward in their community due to the lack of capacity in the hydro grid and find that it is unacceptable that rural, economically depressed areas of Canada are being told to accept this sad state. It is a function of government to fix this problem and we strongly recommend that the Government of Canada start to work with Provincial and Territorial partners to invest in this kind of essential infrastructure. We also recommend that the Government of Canada agree to the request made by the Province of Ontario for $1 billion to help fund infrastructure in the Ring of Fire. During the last election campaign, the Prime Minister told us that all we needed was stimulus spending to support the creation of this kind of essential infrastructure and to put people back to work. We take him at his word and call on him to keep that promise in order to support the Ring of Fire.

The Government must also act quickly to honour its obligations to a Nation to Nation relationship with Indigenous peoples including proper consultation and accommodation on all energy projects and the protection of Indigenous rights. Industry representatives were clear about the need to fix the consultation process sooner rather than later. Many witnesses offered strong, practical experience in engagement and relationship building between industry and Indigenous governments and communities. Many members of the mining industry have a good story to tell and decades of experience that other industries and the Government of Canada could learn from. But the fact remains that the Government of Canada, as representative of the Crown, is responsible for these duties around consultations and accommodation. While proponents of projects should be a part of this process, we believe these responsibilities should not be devolved to proponents to fulfill. The Government must take a much larger, hands-on role in creating the environment in which meaningful consultation can take place. The Government has made many commitments to Indigenous Peoples and we believe that now is the time to start meaningfully fulfilling them.

One of the new government’s key commitments to a new relationship with Indigenous peoples is the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). New Democrats believe that the UNDRIP should be fully implemented as soon as possible. We believe it does provide a path forward and are concerned that the majority committee report makes no mention of the UNDRIP in the recommendations. We therefore recommend that the Government support Bill C-262 and work with the mover of the bill, Mr. Saganash, to start the process of the proper implementation of the UNDRIP as soon as possible.

Many witnesses who appeared before the committee also spoke to the concerns around the difficulties they face in their attempts to get more Indigenous peoples involved in the mining sector at all levels from academia to the workforce. This testimony brought into stark focus the effect of the long-term underfunding of First Nations education by the Government of Canada. To address this issue, many in industry spoke to short-term measures they have taken to help transition Indigenous peoples into the sector, helping to overcome the shortfalls created by government funding policies. In Canada, it is a basic expectation not only of citizens, but of industry and business, that everyone has access to a proper education. With that in mind, we strongly recommend that the Government of Canada work to address Indigenous youth unemployment through capacity-building initiatives aimed at improving their educational and employment prospects, including funding of K-12 education equivalent to provincial funding levels and removing the 2% funding cap on Post-Secondary education for First Nations students.

Finally, during hearings, we heard concerns about the activities of some Canadian mining companies abroad. While the activities of Canadian mining companies abroad do not fall under the direct purview of the Natural Resources committee, we believe it is important to address these concerns in the context of Canada being a world leader in mining technology and practices. We believe that the majority of Canadian mining companies operate at home in a responsible and world leading manner. We also believe that it is a reasonable expectation that Canadian mining companies should apply those same responsible practices when they go abroad. With that in mind, we do recommend that the Government of Canada establish a human rights ombudsperson to oversee Canadian international mining operations.

In Canada we are blessed to have significant natural resources which, if managed properly and sustainably, can be an important driver for our economy. We must ensure that these resources are managed and developed in the best interests of all Canadians with a focus on protecting the environment, ensuring meaningful consultation with affected communities and Indigenous peoples, and maximizing economic benefits. We believe that if the Government of Canada enacts the recommendations above, we will be able to better ensure the viability and success of the mining sector to the benefit of all Canadians.