Norm Macdonald MLA                                Columbia River – Revelstoke

MEDIA RELEASE

For immediate release

February 10th, 2009

BC Liberals prescribe medicine to forest crisis:
the same Liberal medicine that helped to make the industry sick

In a media release dated, February 7th, the local spokesperson for the Campbell Liberals claimed that the loss of hundreds of forestry jobs in recent days due to the closure of four Tembec mills ‘underlines the need for a strong BC Liberal government’ and ‘reiterates just how important it is to keep proven leadership’ at this time of crisis.  But Columbia River – Revelstoke MLA Norm Macdonald blames lack of action on behalf of the Campbell Liberals for the severity of the current crisis in forestry.

“For years, the forestry industry has been putting forward suggestions to this government on how steps can be taken to make the industry more resilient,” said Macdonald.

On October 9th, 2007 in Cranbrook, representatives of Tembec Industries, presented three areas of government forestry policy that needed to be adjusted to make forestry in the Kootenays more viable, but the Campbell Liberals decided to ignore these suggestions.  Tembec specifically raised issues with the Softwood Lumber Agreement and the current stumpage and tenure systems.

“It seems to me that Campbell’s version of a ‘strong BC Liberal government’ meant they simply stuck their heads in the sand and ignored the very obvious signs that the forest industry was near collapse.  And Campbell’s ‘proven leadership’ meant not taking any action to revitalize the forest industry.  Not exactly a laudable record on the forestry file.”

Unlike the Campbell Liberals, the NDP worked with forestry experts to develop a real plan for forestry which was released in March 2008.  This 5-point plan is available at www.ourforests.ca.

“We have a real plan, and if it had been implemented, it would have lessened the negative effects of the economic downturn on our forest industry,” continued Macdonald.  “Now the Liberals are saying that the answer to this crisis is more of their ineptitude, and frankly, most people affected by these job losses would think that is laughable.”

Macdonald also points to the Liberal cuts that removed programs and initiatives put in place by previous Social Credit and NDP governments that made forest dependent communities more able to weather economic set-backs.

“The Campbell Liberals claim that they now have plans for new measures to assist forestry workers and their communities but those who have watched this file over the last eight years have observed one cut after another that left forest workers and forest communities more and more vulnerable.”

A key point of the NDP’s 5-point plan for forestry includes an initiative called the Community and Worker Stability Fund which will help to ensure that forest-dependent communities remain viable during the tough times.