Ethical mining bill defeated in Parliament

A bill that would have created ethical guidelines for Canadian mining companies failed to pass yesterday.

The bill was sponsored by Liberal MP John McKay, but 13 of his party members including leader Michael Ignatieff didn’t show up for the vote and it was defeated 140-134 yesterday. Four NDP MPs from mining-dependent ridings were also no-shows. Seventy-five per cent of the world’s mining companies are headquartered in Canada and many of them have been accused of corruption, violence, and reckless environmental practices by local populations abroad. The bill would have created government guidelines for Canadian companies as well as a complaints process for those who say they've been harmed by mining practices. The mining industry is worth $80 billion a year and lobbied hard against the bill, arguing that it has its own guidelines in place already.