Sander Grieve comments in Lexpert's 2022 Special Edition on Mining on the increasing focus on geopolitical risks as the race to secure critical metals keeps picking up speed.

Sander says that Canada, along with the United States and Australia, is a desirable country for finding and producing both critical minerals and precious metals.

However, he notes that Canadian public policy must keep an eye on “remaining competitive” in attracting mining investment. “Australia would love to have that investment, and the US has become a more competitive jurisdiction.” He adds that even state laws can make a difference in the US—Nevada is much friendlier to mining than California.

Sander says that, in the wake of some of the geopolitical risks to mining in other jurisdictions, Canada needs policies focusing on the domestic mining of these critical minerals. “We’ve seen various governments renegotiating mining tenements, cancelling ownership rights in various parts of the world, nationalizing certain areas of mining,” he says. 

“That doesn’t happen here, but regulations and the permitting process can sometimes lead to the same result—we need to be sure we’re attracting investment and not turning off potential investors.”