HOT TOPIC: What would have been the better merger?

Last week CMJ asked its Net News readers to weigh in on what would have been the better merger in light of the cuts made by Xstrata at the operations formerly belonging to Falconbridge. Overwhelmingly, 85% of you said the preferable combination would have been Falconbridge and Inco. A further 13% judged the existing situation best and, only 2% would have preferred an American company to have taken over.

In light of Vale Inco's announced layoffs, we are going to leave the question up another week, and see if opinion changes. Please go to www.CanadianMiningJournal.com and click on the Hot Topic question in the box on the right-hand side of the page to vote.