Published: February 10, 2009 1:00 PM
The announcement of the temporary closure of four Tembec mills in the East Kootenay has left hundreds of millworkers and their families without a paycheque and Columbia River – Revelstoke MLA Norm Macdonald says that government inaction has made this crisis in forestry worse.
In 2007, Tembec made a presentation to the finance committee asking that the government review how stumpage is charged and requesting tenure reform, but instead of taking Tembec’s concerns seriously, the government chose not to act.
“Tembec was clear that changes were needed in forestry policy or mills would have to close,” said Macdonald. “Now those closures have occurred, not just here in the Kootenays, but across British Columbia, and the Minister of Forest is still sitting on his hands.”
Minister of Forest Pat Bell said in September 2008 that there would be no further mill closures but the announcements of closures across the province over the last few days have again proved him wrong.
The suggestions for forestry reform made by Tembec in 2007 are similar to parts of the NDP’s five-point plan to renew and modernize the forest industry. The plan can be found at www.ourforests.ca.
“In the short-term, we need action to help these forest workers and their communities survive this downturn,” continued Macdonald. “Changes to Employment Insurance benefits are needed; a 5-week extension simply isn’t enough.”
Macdonald is also calling for improvements to the Community Development Trust program which is supposed to provide tuition fee assistance, transition assistance for older workers and a job opportunities program.
“This program is supposed to be in place and functioning for these workers but unfortunately, many workers are finding that the system is actually not working the way it is supposed to. It looks like the Campbell government has mismanaged this file as well.
“The government has a responsibility to get these things right and I’m afraid when it comes to forestry and protecting forestry jobs that they have failed on every front.”