(Kitco News) - The Canadian government needs should stop picking winners and losers in the resource sector, said Stewart Muir, founder and CEO of Resource Works.
On Thursday Muir spoke to Kitco Mining.
Muir said the resource sector is challenged by regulations. He points out the growing regulatory burdens, referring to the "pancaking effect" where new regulations continuously pile on top of existing ones, complicating the project approval process. He emphasizes that streamlining and harmonizing regulations are essential to keeping projects feasible.
Regarding critical mineral strategies adopted by governments, Muir wishes governments would be less selective.
"You've got an ice rink, and you've got teams that play there," said Muir "One wins, one loses. But you're not going to have a good game unless a Zamboni driver has gotten out there and cleaned that ice. We have a tendency for governments to pick the winners and losers."
Asked to pick a key milestone over the next 12 months, Muir pointed to the LNG plant in Kitimat.
"I think that the day that the first ship sails from the port of Kitimat sometime, probably in 2025, with a load of Canadian LNG for wherever it's going, that will be a historic moment," said Muir. "It will also be a boatload of money. it's such a huge win. The people who should have been out celebrating it—those in government—they didn't want to take the win on that. They deserve credit for it. But they didn't want to take it, which is a sad comment on, on perceptions of the public sentiment on these issues."
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and Spotify. You can also add the RSS link to your favorite podcast player: LINK
