NDP Takes Aim At Liberal Government over Forestry

Friday, February 06, 2009 08:33 AM

Prince George, B.C. - The two Prince George area NDP Candidates are accusing Premier Gordon Campbell of ignoring the plight of forestry workers, saying he seem to be able to spend millions of dollars on projects for the lower mainland while providing no help to B.C.'s bread and butter industry.

Tobias Lawrence (Prince George Mackenzie) and Julie Carew (Prince George Valemount) point to curtailments made by three major forestry players this week, including Tolko, Tembec and Canfor which the NDP says will affect more than 2,000 workers. Lawrence says while forestry communities suffer, the provincial government has decided to spend billions on the Port Mann bridge and hundreds of millions more on a new roof at B.C. Place stadium.

"After the tragic -- and almost fatal -- situation in Mackenzie where the absentee owners of the Worthington pulp mill fled the country, it is unbelievable that the Liberals are still failing to make our forest industry a priority. The Steelworkers
report that there are 2,400 of their members out of work here in the north. That's shameful. Forest workers are losing their jobs and Gordon Campbell can only come up with money for his favourite projects."

Forests and Range Minister Pat Bell has accused the opposition of trying to play politics with a very difficult global economy. During an interview this week, Bell said the province will continue to support forest communities affected by downtime and layoffs in the forest sector.

"Over the short term, there's no question that we need to support communities through the Job Opportunities retraining programs and other initiatves that we have dollars available to deliver on, and that's exactly what we're doing at this point."

Bell says with Lumber prices at historic lows, it's clear that no company can continue to operate at that level.

"This is a supply and demand issue. It's necessary for supply to come off of the market in order to be balanced with demand and I'm relatively confident that this will be short-lived. It's a tough decision, but it's the right decision."

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Posted on Friday, February 06, 2009 08:33 AM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: dirtcheap on February 6 2009 8:46 AM

I wonder if Bell would be so positive if he was out of work.What a truck load of bs.These politicians make a person wanna hurl. N.D.P, Liberals, all the same, tell you what you want to hear, until elected then do what they want for their buddies.

Posted by: Born in BC on February 6 2009 8:59 AM

I think being a member of the opposition must be the easiest job on the planet. Point out problems but never have to develop or implement solutions. Where do I sign up?

Posted by: realitysetsin on February 6 2009 9:22 AM

The NDP saying anything negative about Liberal forest policy is ridiculous. If there is one thing the NDP has proven they are good at mismanaging it's forestry in BC.

Posted by: Shellshadow on February 6 2009 9:52 AM

Until the stupid Olympics are over forget about anything else being a priority. Our medical, education and losses of jobs in the interior are nothing to the lower mainland, never were! Now we have our own council to worry about and their pet project to contend with. 52 million dollars to be borrowed for a art centre and another 11 million to be borrowed for trails is just asssssinine but will go forward with no regard to the people who live here. And in the end...an average family of four will not be able to afford to go to this art centre. We have been told for almost a year now to "tighten our belts" but IMO the only ones who are doing that are the tax payers. All levels of government are spending like money is growing on all the bug killed trees.

Have a nice day all.

Posted by: diplomat on February 6 2009 10:04 AM

If the ten years of NDP had been more free of controversy (2 premiers resigned) and had there been not as many failures I would be able to give their latest lamenting some closer attention.

Endlessly repeated slogans like *come clean* and *shame, shame, shame* are old and worn out cliches, perhaps some constructive criticism would be useful for a change.

Now we have conditions which are mostly beyond our federal and provincial control as they are of an almost unprecedented (since the Great Depression) dimension.

President Obama asked today for input from anybody anywhere to help solve the crisis that America finds itself in today - he will listen to any worthwhile suggestions. This is a much better approach than the usual partisan blaming and finger pointing and personal attacks.

I know that these comments will draw some very angry responses, but fortunately this is one forum where one can still express an opinion without fear of retribution.

Posted by: dogs on February 6 2009 12:38 PM

Who shoveled millions of dollars off the backs of trucks under Forest Renewal BC- the NDP- the current situation is purely Supply and Demand- globally.

Posted by: ammonra on February 6 2009 1:26 PM

Born in BC, you sign up at the polling boot on election day!

Posted by: ammonra on February 6 2009 1:34 PM

It is true that two NDP leaders who resigned. One was Mike Harcourt who was attacked and drummed out of office for no reason whatsoever. The other was Glen Clark who was accused of criminal offences by a constituency assistant who worked in Gordon Campbell's office. Of course, Campbell knew absolutely nothing about this and would never have approved if he had, right. Yeah, right!

Clark was found not guilty, emphatically so, by the same judge who is now dealing with the Liberal corruption trial about BC Rail.

As to crying, "shame, shame!", I suggest you go back and remember the malicious attacks on the NDP during that time. It was not just, "shame, shame", it was outright libel. An example is the weekly editorial attacks on Clark while he was waiting for trial, then when he was found emphatically Not Guilty, burying the report in a three line snippet on a back page where nobody would see it. Why? Well, the voters have the right to know, don't they (that's sarcasm, Diplomat)?

Posted by: ammonra on February 6 2009 1:38 PM

Shovelling bucks off the back of a truck was actually done in real life by the Opposition Liberals with GC as the leader. They filled a truck up with chocolate loonies and literally shovelled them off the truck as a publicity stunt.

Who knew they were letting everyone know what their political approach to economics was?

Posted by: just the facts on February 6 2009 2:02 PM

yeah look at the sale of BC rail Getting caught drinking and driving helping western forest make millions on land deals on the island with the help of the previous minister of forests also getting ferries built in europe instead of building them in BC. i think they should be put in jail they don,t care about the people of BC they just take care of their buddies

Posted by: just the facts on February 6 2009 2:08 PM

vote for liberals is a vote for the sale of BC. When the liberals work the people of BC get poorer. let's get ride of them in may before it is to late

Posted by: wavoes on February 6 2009 3:45 PM

VOTE FOR NDP MEANS `GO UNION GO`

STRIKE STRIKE STRIKE...

Posted by: dogs on February 6 2009 4:18 PM

Ammonra- it was a figure of speech in my post about the waste of monies under the NDP- Harcourt was ousted for bingo gate- an NDP MLA went to Jail for illegally raising funds.

Posted by: Death to Socialism on February 6 2009 4:20 PM

Get back to the collective farm, comrades, or you will not get your daily turnip ration.

Posted by: diplomat on February 6 2009 4:48 PM

Ammonra: "(that's sarcasm, Diplomat)?"

Your words, not mine...if you want to be sarcastic - go ahead, make my day.

My blood pressure is fine. Cheers!

Posted by: realitysetsin on February 6 2009 5:45 PM

A vote for the NDP = Let's STEAL money from bingo charities.

Posted by: diplomat on February 6 2009 7:01 PM

It wasn't the NDP per se, it was a NDP gentleman by the name of Dave Stupich and he pleaded mental problems at his trial. Harcourt resigned but I don't believe he did anything wrong. However, it happened on his watch and it looked absolutely pathetic.

He did the honourable thing and stepped down, just like Bill VanderZalm, who, by the way, was later cleared of any conflict of interest in his Fantasy Land kerfuffle.

Posted by: woodwoman on February 6 2009 8:07 PM

As long as Gordo rules - you will see the average worker suffer - and yes, he did say once that his mother was a union member working for the school district in Vancouver and - yes Shirley Bond should be happy - her husband is also a CUPE member for the city of PG - so both have union's money in their pocket. Watch the $$$ the governement will be saying they will give - how is that possible when Gordo fame now - is a 2 yr. deficit budget!! And he would not want to cut health care or education - what a joke - walk into PG hospital - walk into a classroom with class composition - he has already done the cuts!!

Posted by: Denaljo on February 6 2009 10:58 PM

Why do the Liberals hate democracy?
Why does Gordo hate free speech?
Why are they imposing a gag law on the people of BC?
Dont they want every one
to know about the BILLIONS they are wasting come election time.

Posted by: enviro on February 7 2009 12:26 AM

Damn, don't you people get it?????

The NDP forestry platform includes the provision for the province of BC to pay the difference between current low lumber prices and the price required to keep the mills going.

Get with the program people!!!!

VOTE NDP!!!!

Posted by: MrPG on February 7 2009 9:44 AM

Where does the Province of BC get its money from? Oh yes, through taxes.

Vote NDP? Not in a million years.

Posted by: Harbinger on February 7 2009 4:37 PM

Hey enviro..."the provision for the province of BC to pay the difference between current price and required price..". Typical dipper. For your information the province is the taxpayer. Not just a province. More money for a socialist dream of a perfect world? How about an NDP platform that would include a provision that says my current after tax income difference to what I require should be paid by the government of BC as to what it costs me to live the way I wished. i.e. More money in my pockets at the end of the month. Now that would be a provision I could vote for!

Posted by: diplomat on February 8 2009 11:35 AM

Hey enviro..., I have a hard time deciding whether your comments was serious or just sarcastic!

It seems clear to most people now that the market for lumber has shrunk, shriveled up.

After the NDP and the taxpayers have paid the difference to keep the mills going....where and how high will they stack the lumber which can not be sold at present?

Wait a minute, Noah's ark was made out of wood! Can we build some wooden ferries?

VOTE NDP!!!!

Posted by: northman on February 8 2009 1:01 PM

Keep NDP as far away for natural resource management as possible.

Posted by: enviro on February 8 2009 5:28 PM

diplomat: "Hey enviro..., I have a hard time deciding whether your comments was serious or just sarcastic!"

The latter. ;)