Industry committee  Of course. Thank you.

Industry committee  Battery production is at the core of a lot of critical minerals discussions. I think there are a few things to note in response to your question. First, in order to spur battery production in Canada—and maybe I'll touch on that more in a moment—there needs to be funding to support capital expenditures in this space, but there also has to be the required infrastructure across the country to support consumer adoption of new technologies.

Industry committee  I don't have any knowledge of the timeline for the Government of Canada's critical minerals strategy. I can note that we are engaged with members of NRCan on an ongoing basis, but at this time I'm not aware of the level of consultations specific to a critical minerals strategy.

Industry committee  I would, certainly, and thank you for the question. As I noted in my last comment, Canada indeed has this major opportunity to grow as a reliable partner in supplying critical minerals vital to North American development of clean-tech energy supply chains and digital components vital for cybersecurity.

Industry committee  I think that's an important question. I think there are two components to the answer: One, there has to be ongoing consultation, and, two, there has to be ongoing consultation with a number of different stakeholders along the supply chain including indigenous stakeholders. Our strategy for critical minerals should not be just exploration and extraction.

Industry committee  I am not aware of the Canadian Chamber participating in any consultation on a strategic plan for critical minerals at this time.

Industry committee  I couldn't agree more that maintaining our economic competitiveness and access to the U.S. market is vital for Canada's economic prosperity. To that end and perhaps unsurprisingly, the chamber doesn't support protectionist measures between Canada and the U.S., our largest trading partner, since such policies could have significant unintended consequences.

Industry committee  I think that's quite the loaded question, and I thank you for it. A number of issues have been well documented over the years within the Canadian mining sector. Primarily, the industry faces three key issues that need to be resolved for Canada to really advance its critical mineral strategy.

Industry committee  It's important to note that sustainability and economic competitiveness are tethered: you can't compete without a strong sustainability program in this sector. Looking through a global lens, it's clear that the Canadian mining industry practises the highest environmental standards and harbours a meaningful commitment to sustainable development and production.

Industry committee  Mr. Chair and honourable Members, thank you for the opportunity to attend today's discussion on critical minerals in Canada. As noted during the introduction, my name is David Billedeau. I serve as the senior director of natural resources, environment and sustainability at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.