A private member's bill is up for debate in Canada's parliament next week that seeks to regulate Canadian mining companies when doing business abroad. It has absolutely no chance of getting anywhere (due to the powerful mining lobby) but all the same may throw a little light on the subject. Here's the story and here below is a little phun phactz and phigures list culled from the page. Enjoy.
CANADA'S MINING INDUSTRY
- 1,373: Number of mining companies listed on the TSX (2007)
- 79 billion (valued at $482 billion): Number of mining shares traded on the TSX (2007)
- 43%: Percentage of total world mining exploration attributed to Canadian mining companies
- 60%: Percentage of world's mining companies registered in Canada
- $21 billion (U.S.): Total value of Canadian mining companies' assets in Africa
- 20%: Percentage of the total Canadian-owned African mining assets located in the war-ravaged Democratic Republic of the Congo.
- 193: Number of registered mining lobbyists in Canada as of Nov. 3, 2009
- 30: Number of countries where Canadian mining companies have allegedly violated human rights
- 0: Number of Canadian laws that regulate mining companies abroad
Report here