2012 – Page 56 – Republic of Mining

S. Africa’s “Juju” jinxes Zuma over mines unrest – by Jon Herskovitz (Reuters – September 14, 2012)

September 15, 2012

http://www.reuters.com/

JOHANNESBURG, Sept 14 (Reuters) – South Africa’s ANC rebel Julius Malema has charged back from the political wilderness, seizing on a mines labour conflict to bait and harry President Jacob Zuma before an end-year leadership conference that will test stability in Africa’s biggest economy.

While Zuma has dithered over the industrial unrest that led to the Aug. 16 police killing of 34 striking miners, Malema is feeding his comeback with the discontent among South Africa’s poor and unemployed that poses the biggest threat to the ANC’s governing alliance since apartheid ended in 1994.

Wearing his trademark beret, the former ANC Youth League leader cast out by the ruling party for indiscipline this year has driven his upscale SUV into the heart of the dusty, scrub-covered platinum mining belt. Here, he heard the grievances of angry strikers carrying spears, machetes and clubs.

“Where are our leaders? Our leaders have sold out South Africa. Our leaders are sleeping with capitalists. Our leaders are enjoying dinners with capital. They have forgotten about us,” the 31-year-old, popularly known as “Juju”, told a raucous crowd of protesting miners this week.

Ottawa does U-turn on asbestos mining – by Steven Chase and Les Perreaux (Globe and Mail – September 15, 2012)

September 15, 2012

The Globe and Mail is Canada’s national newspaper with the second largest broadsheet circulation in the country. It has enormous influence on Canada’s political and business elite.

OTTAWA and MONTREAL — Canada is ending its much-maligned practice of defending asbestos mining on the world stage, a reversal of a stand that made it a pariah in some international circles.

The Harper government, which until Friday unflinchingly defended Canada’s right to export the cancer-causing mineral from Quebec, is blaming the incoming Parti Québécois regime for its change of heart.

Premier-designate Pauline Marois’s party,which will soon take office in Quebec, pledged during the provincial election campaign to cancel a government loan guarantee designed to resurrect the big Jeffrey asbestos mine in Asbestos, Que. It would have been the only mine operating in an otherwise moribund industry.

“The decision to close down the industry has already been taken by Mrs. Marois,” Industry Minister Christian Paradis said on Friday. He said Canada will no longer block international efforts to add chrysotile asbestos to a United Nations treaty called the Rotterdam Convention, a global list of hazardous substances. Being on the list places restrictions on trade of the mineral.

Looming Nexen deal reveals fault lines in Tory camp – by Shawn McCarthy and Bill Curry (Globe and Mail – September 15, 2012)

September 15, 2012

The Globe and Mail is Canada’s national newspaper with the second largest broadsheet circulation in the country. It has enormous influence on Canada’s political and business elite.

OTTAWA — As he prepares the ground for a likely approval of the takeover of Nexen Inc. by a Chinese national oil company, Prime Minister Stephen Harper is cementing his government’s transformation from anti-communist China-skeptics to business-oriented pragmatists eager to pursue an economy-first Asia policy.

CNOOC Ltd.’s groundbreaking $15.1-billion deal for Calgary’s Nexen has revealed a continuing fault line in the Conservative caucus, pitting the more ideologically driven members who distrust the undemocratic regime in Beijing against their colleagues who want to expand trade and investment ties with the fast-growing Asian powerhouse.

The split has even surfaced in cabinet, according to several sources close to the government. Finance Minister Jim Flaherty, who has made it a personal priority to build commercial relations with China, has spoken in favour of judging the CNOOC deal on its merits rather than allowing broader political differences to derail it. Immigration Minister Jason Kenney – with his anti-communist roots and promotion for religious freedom – voiced his concerns that China is not a trustworthy economic partner.

Regional chief wants First Nation seats in Canada’s parliament – by Rick Garrick (Wawatay News – September 13, 2012)

September 15, 2012

Northern Ontario’s First Nations Voice: http://wawataynews.ca/

Ontario Regional Chief Stan Beardy is calling on the Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission to consider guaranteed First Nations seats in Canada’s parliament, like the system in New Zealand.

“I see that the Ontario Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission is proposing 15 new ridings in southern Ontario,” Beardy said. “What I’d like to point out is that in some countries, like New Zealand, indigenous nations like the Maori have their own political parties because they are given some semblance of recognition in their country as original peoples. Maybe now would be the appropriate time to make sure that seats are guaranteed within jurisdictions of Ontario and Canada for First Nations people to make sure that the Aboriginal voice is heard.”

New Zealand’s 1867 Parliament set up four electorates specifically for Maori people. The Maori seats were increased in 1996 to five when New Zealand changed their election system from a first-past-the-post to a mixed member proportional representation system, and increased to seven seats in 2002.

“Maori have claimed that the Maori electoral option, by which Maori can elect to join the Maori electoral roll and vote for candidates in the Maori seats, are one of the few guarantees in (New Zealand)’s constitution that a distinct Maori voice will be heard in politics,” said Andrew Robb, press secretary in the office of Pita R Sharples,minister of Maori Affairs in New Zealand, in an e-mail reply.

[Sudbury Vale] Union angry no charges in miners’ deaths – by Carol Mulligan (Sudbury Star – September 15, 2012)

September 15, 2012

The Sudbury Star is the City of Greater Sudbury’s daily newspaper.

The president of United Steelworkers Local 6500 is calling for a meeting with officials from Sudbury’s Crown attorney office to discuss why they and Greater Sudbury Police investigators determined no criminal charges should be laid in the deaths of two men at Vale’s Stobie Mine.

Rick Bertrand said his union’s executive and other members are angry charges won’t be laid under the Criminal Code of Canada in the June 8, 2011, deaths of Jason Chenier, 35, and Jordan Fram, 26.

Vale is facing nine charges under the Occupational Health and Safety Act and one of its supervisors, Keith Birnie, is facing six charges under the act. The union said its eight-month investigation into the men’s deaths showed more serious charges were warranted.

“We found disturbing facts … about what went on at Stobie Mine,” Bertrand said Friday of his union’s investigation. USW Local 6500’s investigation determined water was pooled as deep as four or five feet in the corridors of the century-old mine, known for its water problems.

South Africa cracks down on ‘illegal gatherings’ in wake of mining crisis – by Geoffrey York (Globe and Mail – September 14, 2012)

September 14, 2012

The Globe and Mail is Canada’s national newspaper with the second largest broadsheet circulation in the country. It has enormous influence on Canada’s political and business elite.

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa — After weeks of an escalating national crisis in its mining sector, South Africa’s government has announced a sweeping crackdown on weapons and “illegal gatherings” by thousands of striking mineworkers. The government is refusing to say whether it will deploy the army or arrest key political opponents such as Julius Malema, but it left the door open to both options

Reports in the South African media today said the government could arrest Mr. Malema and send soldiers into the mining regions in an attempt to halt the violent wildcat strikes that have forced the closure of the mines of some of the world’s biggest platinum and gold companies.

Many of the striking workers have marched with machetes, spears, sticks and clubs as they hunt down those who fail to join the strike. Another body of a stabbed worker was found this week at a spot where the strikers have gathered. “It appears now that the mining industry is at stake,” Justice Minister Jeff Radebe told a press conference today.

“We can no longer tolerate acts of intimidation, illegal gatherings, the carrying of dangerous weapons in South Africa,” he said.

Oil sands ‘exporting jobs’, says NDP energy critic – by Yadullah Hussain (National Post – September 14, 2012)

September 14, 2012

The National Post is Canada’s second largest national paper.

Peter Julian has seen the oil-and-gas industry from the ‘shop floor’ during his days as a labourer in a B.C. refinery. It’s not a job or career he pursued, instead moving to social enterprises and eventually representing Burnaby-New Westminster as an NDP member of Parliament. Before being handed the portfolio of energy and natural resources shadow minister, Mr. Julian watched over treasury board, international trade and transportation. The varied experience, Mr. Julian says, allows him to appreciate the energy sector’s impact on the wider economy. In a wide-ranging talk with FP energy editor Yadullah Hussain, the MP spells out the NDP’s stance on the country’s energy sector. Here are edited excerpts from the interview.

Q The federal government believes oil sands is crucial to its economic strategy. Given your stance on the oil sands, what would be the key pillars of your energy strategy?

A We have to get the policies right so we are looking at the overall contribution of the oil sands. We want to see prosperity for average families right around the country and allow us to transition to a green-energy economy because we need to go where our major competitors are going. One of the concerns I have is the emerging and growing green-energy gap between Canada and other industrialized countries. In 2011, in one quarter in the U.S. there were 600 patents for sustainable-energy innovation; in Canada we had 10.

Muddled thinking on SOEs – by Yuen Pau Woo (National Post – September 14, 2012)

September 14, 2012

The National Post is Canada’s second largest national paper.

Yuen Pau Woo is president and CEO of the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada.

A few state takeovers like Nexen deal won’t destroy market

As the clock ticks on the 45-day review period for the proposed CNOOC-Nexen acquisition, at least one thing has become clear: Critics on the left are in rare alignment with critics on the right in their uniform opposition to the deal.

The arguments are of course different. While economic nationalists call for government to block the sale of a private asset, free-market champions oppose the deal precisely because the acquisitor is a government-linked entity. In other words, those who traditionally favour a larger role for the state in the economy oppose a state-owned entity (SOE) buying this asset, and those who traditionally resist intervention in the marketplace support a government decision to block the sale.

At the heart of this puzzle is the fact that CNOOC is a state-owned company from a country that has an economic system that is described confusingly as “market socialism.” The Chinese economic model may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it is the chosen model in China and there is little likelihood that SOEs will be dismantled in the foreseeable future.

In the CNOOC-Nexen decision, less strategy might be more – by Daniel Schwanen (Globe and Mail – September 14, 2012)

September 14, 2012

The Globe and Mail is Canada’s national newspaper with the second largest broadsheet circulation in the country. It has enormous influence on Canada’s political and business elite.

The overwhelming reaction from experts to the friendly bid by China National Offshore Oil Corp. for Calgary-based Nexen Inc. has been to urge Canada to be “strategic” in its response to the deal. Indeed, we should be – but being strategic should not mean making policy on the fly.

In late 2007, the Canadian government issued guidelines regarding how it would apply its “net benefit” test, used to screen large acquisitions of Canadian entities by foreign-owned entities, when the latter are state-owned enterprises such as CNOOC. These guidelines require the government to consider whether the state-owned enterprise adheres to Canadian standards of good corporate governance and whether the acquired entity will be able to continue operating on a commercial basis.

More specifically, the guidelines mention commitments to transparency, the presence of independent Canadian directors on the board, and a Canadian stock-exchange listing for either the acquirer or the acquired entity as undertakings that may be required of the foreign investor. Presumably, concerns related to the degree of Chinese Communist Party control over CNOOC, or to allegations that firms connected with CNOOC might have engaged in insider trading ahead of the Nexen announcement, can be assessed under these headings.

Mining engineers strike gold – by Josh Dehaas (Maclean’s Magazine – September 13, 2012)

September 14, 2012September 14, 2012

Maclean’s is the largest circulation weekly news magazine in Canada, reporting on Canadian issues such as politics, pop culture, and current events.

Graduating with a degree in mining engineering seems to be a ticket to a well-paying job

Kyle Buckoll finished his bachelor’s degree at the University of British Columbia in April. Unlike many 23-year-old university graduates, he didn’t settle at his parents’ house in Maple Ridge, B.C., to start hunting for internships or entry-level jobs. Instead, he went on an all-expenses-paid trip to Turkey with 31 fellow class-of-2012 graduates from UBC’s mining engineering program. They marvelled at Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia, visited two of the seven ancient wonders of the world, and lounged on beach chairs in Bodrum to toast their graduation. They also toured six mines, because the flight, hotels and buses were all paid for by mining companies eager to show their largesse.

Buckoll wasn’t worried about student loans, either. His tuition for the last four years was covered by Anglo-Swiss mining company Xstrata. In addition to working for the firm while at school, he promised to work for Xstrata after graduation (he will owe them money if he quits in the first two years). After a summer spent touring Europe for fun, he has a well-paying job waiting for him at the company’s mine in Timmins, Ont., in September. His two vehicles will be there, shipped from Vancouver at Xstrata’s expense. His girlfriend will join him there too, her flight and moving expenses covered. They’ll settle into a home with the rent taken care of for the first two months.

Solving problems takes more than just words [Ring of Fire and First Nations education] – by James Murray (Netnewsledger.com – September 13, 2012)

September 14, 2012

http://www.netnewsledger.com/

THUNDER BAY – Solving problems takes more than just words. It takes firm action and determination. Words are an important part of moving toward a solution. However often it seems that mere words are all that are produced when it comes to making positive moves forward for Canada’s Aboriginal people.

Speaking in Edmonton on September 11th, Minister of Aboriginal Affairs, John Duncan stated, “senior officials from my department have completed a series of six regional roundtables that brought together senior leaders from Canada’s Aboriginal communities, natural resources industries, and provincial, territorial and federal governments to identify and discuss obstacles to greater Aboriginal participation in major mining, oil and natural gas projects. At these regional roundtables, including one held in Calgary, participants shared best practices and developed solutions to help eliminate barriers to better economic and labour outcomes.

“Together we are making progress in creating the conditions for Aboriginal people to achieve the prosperity they seek and that Canada needs. But our work is not done.

“Together, let’s make sure more Aboriginal teens graduate from high school and move on to higher education and to programs that provide the skills they require for the jobs they need.

Ring of Fire judicial review hits more delays – by Shawn Bell (Wawatay News – September 13, 2012)

September 14, 2012

Northern Ontario’s First Nations Voice: http://wawataynews.ca/

It has been 10 months since Matawa First Nations filed a judicial review of the Ring of Fire Environmental Assessment process, but the review continues to be delayed by legal procedures.

Judith Rae, Matawa’s legal representative on the case, told Wawatay News that recent legal motions by both Cliffs Resources and the government of Canada have delayed the pre-hearing process in the case.

The latest delays come after Canada took longer than usual to provide information at the beginning of the legal action, said the lawyer with Olthius Kleer Townshed law firm. In November 2011 Rae had estimated that the case would come before the courts in eight to 18 months, a timeline that seems overly optimistic at this point.

“Our initial timeline has been derailed by the motions by Cliffs and Canada, but the judicial review is still ongoing,” Rae said. Matawa filed the judicial review on Nov. 7, 2011, calling on the federal government to implement a Joint Review Panel – the most comprehensive form of environmental assessment (EA) – for the Ring of Fire.

Ontario negotiating to build Ring of Fire toll road – by Shawn Bell (Wawatay News – September 13, 2012)

September 14, 2012

Northern Ontario’s First Nations Voice: http://wawataynews.ca/

The Ontario government has confirmed it is planning to help build and operate a pay-per-use road to connect the Ring of Fire mining development to the existing highway grid.

A government spokesperson told Wawatay News that the province is “committed to sharing the cost” of building an all-season road to the Ring of Fire, and that discussions continue over how Ontario plans to recoup its investment in the road.

“It could be a toll, it could be a monthly invoice,” Ministry of Northern Development and Mines spokesperson Andrew Morrison said of the pay-per-use plan for the access road. “It’s difficult to characterize how a payment system would work at this point.”

According to a Noront Resources press release on Sept. 4, Ontario has assured the mining industry that all industrial users would be permitted to use the access road, which was proposed as part of Cliffs’ Ring of Fire chromite project. Noront also noted that the road plan involved some sort of toll for companies to pay-per-use.

Aroland diamond agreement a result of ‘taking time to listen,’ says Debut CEO – by Chris Kornacki (Wawatay News – September 13, 2012)

September 14, 2012

Northern Ontario’s First Nations Voice: http://wawataynews.ca/

A diamond exploration company that recently completed an exploration agreement with Aroland First Nation says taking the time to build a respectful relationship was key to the deal.

Chris Meraw, President of Debut Diamonds, told Wawatay News the agreement proves that if companies take the time to get agreements in place with First Nations, both sides can benefit.

“We knew that the modernization of the Mining Act is under process and that you are going to need an agreement with the First Nation in order to use mechanized equipment on their traditional land,” Meraw said. “And we’ve always had a great respect for treaty rights and have built a tremendous relationship with the chief and community.

“The agreement is the result of both sides taking time to listen and discuss and reach an agreement that will benefit everyone,” Meraw said. “If you don’t talk, don’t consult and don’t communicate you’re really not moving ahead in any reasonable way.”

The agreement between Aroland and Debut was just one of two exploration agreements Aroland signed in August. The First Nation also signed an agreement with White Tiger Mining, a German exploration company, giving the company access to explore for gold, copper and silver on its Marshall Lake property 30kms west of Nakina.