NDP Demands Coleman Quit Watching, Start Acting
VICTORIA – Another thousand jobs disappeared from the forest industry on Vancouver Island overnight and New Democrat MLAs are demanding the Campbell government finally take some action to address the crisis in the industry.
Island NDP MLAs Claire Trevena , Doug Routley , Leonard Krog and forest critic Bob Simpson grilled Forest Minister Rich Coleman in question period Wednesday, asking how many more jobs would be lost before the Campbell government would get off the sidelines and into the fray.
Claire Trevena
Routley, the MLA for Cowichan – Ladysmith, said the job losses fly in the face of Minister Coleman’s assurances Tuesday that all is well.
“Today we learned that 1,000 people lost their jobs overnight,” said Routley. “Surely the minister must speak to people in the industry. Surely the minister must have known. It’s bad enough that he admits he’s just a spectator, but he’s not even watching the game.”
Leonard Krog“The number one paper machine at Elk Falls in Campbell River is closing permanently. That’s 145 jobs lost in Campbell River, in my community,” said Trevena, the MLA for North Island. “One hundred and forty five well-paying jobs because of this government’s failure to take any action to respond to the largest crisis the forest industry has ever faced.
“This is a direct response to the minister’s choice to sit on the sidelines rather than ensure that coastal mills have a secure supply of logs and chips.”
Krog, the MLA for Nanaimo, said Coleman keeps blaming market conditions, when
Doug Routley clearly government policy is playing a significant role.
“The people who work in the industry understand that it’s not just about market conditions. They understand it’s government policy that encourages wood to be left on the forest floor instead of being taken to the mills in the best pulp market we’ve ever seen.”
Simpson, who represents Cariboo North, said the issue is the inaction by a minister unwilling to take any concrete action.
Bob Simpson“We’re asking the minister to do his job,” said Simpson. “Public policy determines who gets access to public forests. Public policy determines if our pulp mill sector on the coast gets access to the logs they need to employ people.”
In January, NDP Leader Carole James released a five point plan to renew and modernize the forest industry. The plan includes: developing a green forest plan, developing an innovative and diverse industry, community and worker stabilization funding, a permanent commission on forestry and tenure reform. The plan is viewable at http://www.ourforests.ca
Full text of the question period exchange is available from Hansard online, here:
http://www.leg.bc.ca/hansard/8-8.htm
