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Macdonald says Liberals must maximize employment by reducing log exports
If Premier Christy Clark is serious about creating jobs, she should lay out a plan to reduce raw log exports and ensure that B.C. resources are used to maximize employment in British Columbia, say the New Democrats in a Sept. 15 press release.
Premier Clark is scheduled to address the Council of Forest Industries convention in Prince George today (Thursday) and New Democrat forest critic Norm Macdonald says she should begin by explaining why the Liberal government’s record on forest jobs is so appalling.
“Even as the economy expanded, B.C.’s forest industry shed 34,000 jobs as dozens of mills were shut down across the province,” said Macdonald, the New Democrat MLA for Columbia River-Revelstoke. “The Liberal response to the growing crisis was to do nothing.”
The Columbia Valley has felt the sting of the loss of forestry jobs, as it is now two years since the Canfor mill at Radium Hot Springs closed (pictured above).
“Now we’re seeing another troubling statistic: a skyrocketing of raw log exports. Exports rose by 50 per cent in 2010 and all expectations are that exports will continue to increase,” said Macdonald. “When you export resources, you are giving jobs away to other jurisdictions. The premier should quite clearly show how she intends to reverse that trend so we are growing jobs in the forest sector again.”
Macdonald said it’s also long past time for the Liberals to finally address the crisis in forest health.
“Despite the devastation caused by the mountain pine beetle and other pests, the Liberals have actually reduced the amount of tree planting and other silviculture activity happening in the woods,” said Macdonald.
“The long-term health of the forest industry depends on healthy forests,” he continued. “The forests are the infrastructure that underpins the industry and the Liberals have allowed that infrastructure to deteriorate. It’s not too late to make strategic investments but continuing to ignore the problem puts jobs at risk over the long term.
“So any jobs strategy that continues the Liberal pattern of ignoring forest health will fall far short of what is needed.”
Adrian Dix and the New Democrats believe that B.C. logs should support B.C. jobs as part of a forest strategy that respects First Nations, environmental and local needs, a NDP press release stated.
