International Trade committee  It could have potential to. Labour mobility is generally an issue that MAC supports for inclusion in modern trade agreements. Now, some context is important there. There are certain positions, certain types of mining, certain expertise, where you just simply can't procure that locally.

International Trade committee  I'm not an expert in the gender equity component of trade agreements given Canada's leadership in this space and it being a relatively new endeavour in that context. I can say from the mining industry's standpoint that in MAC and the broader Canadian context, representative organizations are actively seeking out ways to better incorporate, accommodate, and equip women to engage in mining at all levels.

International Trade committee  Just as a minor correction, the asset value exceeds $80 billion. That's a very different number from revenue. As for specific examples in those countries, I think it was said best earlier: Canadians expect Canadian companies to operate to a particular standard internationally. They're not looking for actors who act in bad faith.

International Trade committee  The year 2016 was the lowest year in memory for new project descriptions being added to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act. I believe there were two projects added to the list. In the collective MAC memory we can't recall a year where there was such a dearth of projects added to the project description list.

International Trade committee  I can speak to that to a certain extent. MAC has developed what's called the towards sustainable mining, TSM, program. It's a corporate social responsibility management system, originally designed for mandatory implementation in the Canadian context. The program has since gained reasonably significant and increasing attention internationally.

International Trade committee  I think there are a couple of points that I would offer for the committee's consideration for that question. The first is that Canadian companies have been operating internationally for decades. They've been operating in different continents around the world. There's a heavy concentration of Canadian companies that operate in Latin America.

International Trade committee  Thank you for the opportunity to appear today in support of a free trade agreement with the Pacific Alliance. Canada is a mining nation. Mining is a significant engine of the Canadian economy, contributing $57 billion to national GDP. The sector employs more than 400,000 people directly and an additional 196,000 indirectly, supports one of the largest supply sectors in the world, and is a top employer of indigenous peoples.

Finance committee  There's sort of a general consensus now in the industry that commodity prices have turned from the bottom of the recent down cycle. Year over year, copper is up almost a dollar. Zinc is up almost 40¢. These are pretty significant leaps and bounds when you're producing millions of tonnes of this material.

Finance committee  It was mining technology that built the Canadian space arm. That's one tangible example. We have companies that are looking to do the first totally electric underground mine in North America. We have companies in the Northwest Territories that have facilitated a composting system that reduces power on site but also leaves biomass for reclamation purposes in a terrain where there is very limited overgrowth.

Finance committee  I couldn't agree more. Infrastructure is critical for doing anything in the north. There's a massive deficit. MAC industry research in that area demonstrates that it costs two to two and a half times more to do the same project in the north as it does in the south, so dollar for dollar it's more difficult to attract that same level of investment up north.

Finance committee  Just for clarity, when I was giving my remarks, I noted a few measures from last year's budget that were supportive. The air of uncertainty right now that is dampening Canada's attractiveness as a destination for mineral investment is multi-faceted. Right now—it won't be a surprise to anyone around this table—there are a number of ongoing consultations, and given the magnitude of some of those individual consultations, whether they be on regulatory reform, climate change, or the rail freight legislation that's currently before the TRAN committee, any one of these individual pieces of legislation in its own right has the potential to have a major impact one way or the other on our business.

Finance committee  Thank you very much for the opportunity to appear and participate in this important hearing. Mining contributes approximately 3.5% to Canada's GDP. That was $56 billion in 2016. It directly employs 370,000 workers, and indirectly employs almost another 200,000. Proportionally, mining is the largest private sector employer of indigenous peoples nationally, and that's with employment poised to increase.

International Trade committee  Thank you. Yes, of course, that's another challenging reality for the mining industry in the north. With respect to mining, it's always important to remember that companies need to go where the minerals are located. There's no choice in that regard. Frequently, minerals and metals in the north are located in remote areas.

International Trade committee  I want to make sure I understand the question: do I think there's room for improvement with respect to first nations? Yes. Yes, I do, and the industry believes that as well. The opportunity to increase employment with respect to the first nations demographic or indigenous demographic is real, and it's something that the industry continually pursues.

International Trade committee  AIDEA is the Alaska Investment and Development Export Authority.