Front page headline today's paper: (just some light reading to go down nicely with that morning coffee)

"PM sings praises of mining industry

.....PM Stephen Harper made a pitch for Canada's mining industry Saturday as Western Hemisphere leaders gathered to discuss critical issues.....Harper said a strong mining sector - assisted with a low tax regime and environmental regulation without excessive delays - can help the Canadian economy and provide a lesson to the countries of Latin America...."Resource development has vast power to change the way a nation lives, 'he said.......(then lots of talk about 'war on drugs')...

Harper said there are many ways a government can 'maximize the value of this great industry for a country and its people" (reference to Latin American mining development)

He painted a picture of how important resource industries are in Canada: Mining contributed $50 billion to the country's GDP in 2011, he said, and provides "well paying' jobs for more than 300,-000 Canadians.

"We are already the world's No. 1 potash producer, second for uranium and a major global producer of most minineral and energy products."

Mining accounts for more than one-fifth of Canada's exports and has close to $200 exports and has close to $200 billion in assets throughout the world, he said.

Sixty percent of the world's exploration and mining companies are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange.

"In other words, in Canada, we know this industry well. Looking to the future, we see increased Canadian mining investment throughout the Americas - something that will be good for our mutual prosperity and is therefore a priority of our government. We are prepared to share our expertise in this area."

Harper said it's important for the industry to strive in a low-tax regime, such as the one provided in Canada by the Conservative government.

"By the risky nature of their enterprise, resource developers value certainty - legal, judicial and regulatory certainty - and they rightly fear unequal or arbitrary changes to the terms of doing business."

Harper said the industry is now being 'tested' by rising costs. "Soaring resource prices might give the impression that mining companies are making easy profits," he said. "Less discussed is that the costs of inputs - notably skilled labour and fuel - is negatively impacting the economics of mining." As for regulatory controls, Harper said Canadians are 'justly proud" of their mining industry "for it's elevated sense of social responsibility."

He noted that his government is reforming the regulatory review system to ensure projects aren't held up by unnecessary delays. "We cannot allow valid concerns about environmental protection to be used as an excuse to trap worthwhile projects in reviews without end," he said. "So let me be clear; When it comes to evaluating development plans, one should not confuse the length of the process with the rigour of the science."

In its recent budget, the government announced a new process to avoid duplication in regulatory reviews and speed up the process with clearly set time frames. Critics say the changes will lead to poor environmental reviews, but Harper clearly disagrees. "What matters is that the relevant facts are fully considered. That need not take years." mkennedy@postmedia.com