Forestry needs help not cutbacks; MLA says
By CAROLYN GRANT
Kimberley Daily Bulletin
Monday, July 13, 2009
Having been appointed Forestry critic shortly after the May election, Columbia River – Revelstoke MLA Norm Macdonald has spent the past weeks talking to forestry workers around the riding.
He says he is frustrated that, while he hears from forestry workers who have lost their jobs, the provincial government is not doing much to help, and in some cases is doing the opposite.
“This is $129 million from the federal government. It was a program where forestry workers 55 to 65 years old are able to get a one time pay out. The closer you are to 65 the smaller the pay out is. So what does the government do? They changed the criteria so now you have to be at least 60 years old to qualify. I’m getting a lot of calls from people who are, say, in their 50’s and their EI is running out and now this program is unaccessible to them. The government still has the same amount of money available but it is now accessible to fewer people. The program is not nearly as extensive as it was.”
Macdonald also says that is yet to be any provincial money put to programming for forestry workers.
“You see the MLA’s in the pictures when the money is announced, but there has been no provincial money put in. It’s truly pathetic.”
Macdonald is also irked by recent announcements on budgets and deficits that were not announced before the election.
He says it appears the provincial government knew well before hand that Interior Health was going to be facing a budget shortfall.
“And in the Forestry Ministry, there’s going to be $96 million in cuts. That’s a ministry that has already been cut. There will also be cuts to Envrionment. They would have known about this pre-election but didn’t speak about it.
“Not only is government not doing the work it should be doing in Forestry it is divesting in the Ministry that looks after the long-term sustainability of forests. I hear there will be 123 jobs cut in a Ministry that is already under pressure.”