Please tell me that Mr. Simpson and the laid off forestry workers understand that it's politicians with MP behind their name that they should be speaking to (you know the same ones that get elected here year after year after year) as opposed to politicians with MLA behind their name . . .

Regardless of who's in office they will be looking at the statistics next year wondering why they are not recieving any money on taxes from B.C. No job, no taxes for government. No job, no spending in my community, means no G.S.T or P.S.T. No job, no taxes from income.Eventually they will feel a pinch from B.C. in Ottawa. The majority will be on welfare or bankrupt.If money stops flowing where do they think we'll be. Do they not understand that workers run a province, and/or government. This province is becoming to expensive to live in anyways, a have and havenot B.C.

Bring back Forest Renewal BC so the NDP can shovel money off the back of trucks.

Just read Pat bell's 300 hits - today's Citizen - Mackenzie is a thriving community - when was the last time was he in Mackenzie and talked to the unemployed - no EI forestry workers! Ship the logs to China is his motto!

NDP or Liberals? Like trying to decide if you want aids or terminal cancer. Your screwed in the long run!!

-Although Pat Bell is liberal he is doing more for forestry then rich coleman ever did, hes got lots of ambition just needs a good premier to back him up.

Good post woodwoman.Hamburger Patty obviously has'nt missed to many meals.They just tell us what everybody wants to hear,that way everybody thinks they are doing such a great job.We need to start blocking some roads to get the message across to these liars we all call "The Government" for the people by the people.Ya right!

NPG, this is what Mr. Simpson referred to "the Campbell government’s failure to fight for extended employment insurance as benefits run out for thousands of workers." The BC Liberals do nothing for the workers in BC.
dogs, if you look at the ad, you will see it is Gordon Campbell shoveling the money off the back of the truck in 1996. That was in the election campaign where he said he would privatize BC Rail. He lost and in the next election he said he would not privatize BC Rail. He won and privatized BC Rail. He can't be trusted but be is still shoveling our money off the backs of trucks to his rich pals.

NMG:

The reason the NDP were questioning Pat Bell is because his fearless leader el Gordo made the extension of E.I. benefits for 1 year his #1 initiative for his "Plan for the FOREST Industry" @ the Truck Loggers assoc. convention on Jan. 14/09.
At the time there was a lot of press coverage as it was prior to the federal budget but none since.

Yes, the 5 week extension is an extension but it doesn't even come close to what Gordo made as his #1 initiative of his "Plan" for the future of forestry in B.C.

If anything the 5 week extension brings the total # of weeks back in line to the previous entitlement, prior to the E.I. Act being amended sometime in the '90s.

When the olympics are over then Gordo will start complaining, because us the unemployeed will have no money to help him pay for his big mistake{THE OLYMPICS}. He is in his glory being the center of attraction, boy does he know who stupid he really looks. When Gordo attended the reading of the Federal Budget he was not going on behalf of the forestry workers or for the people of B.C. it was for his own greed and to say look what a good premier I am. I am here to represent all the good people of B.C. The ones I have so proudly put on the unemployment line and going to try very hard to keep them there. And for the good job I am doing PLEASE COME TO VANCOUVER AND SUPPORT MY OLYMPICS in 2010 with paycheck in hand. Hell would have to freeze over before that would happen.

For anyone attending the rally, have a good look around for anyone taking pictures. The cops tend to do this at these sort of common people gatherings.

This looks like the same thing that happened in Smithers, Hazelton,Terrace and Prince Rupert area. I understand that it was the removal of having logs attached to the community that created the demise of the sawmills in this area. If this is the case then there needs to be a big push to have logs attached to the community again. This change will ensure that the existing owners and any new buyers of the Sawmill facilities in the communities do not have the option to export logs or ship logs out to other communities, or over seas for that matter. If this does not happen, you will likely see a repeat of what happened in the Terrace Pr. Rupert area where only loggers will be working and Sawmills will become extinct. There is not a Sawmill or Pulp mill to be found any where in these areas where there used to be at least six Sawmills that I am aware of, and the Pulp mill in Prince Rupert. All logs are being shipped out of the area completely eliminating need to have Sawmill workers hanging around. It did not take long after the mills were shut down for dismantling of the said facilities leaving no chance for the communities to re-open them as markets dictate.
Just a thought.............

Folks it doesn't matter what Campbell or Bell say regarding EI, it's just rhetoric. Plain and simple. It's no different than the Federal Minister of Finance saying something like "I will talk to BC about lowering the PST".

There is no way on earth that the Feds will let the Provinces dictate to them on matters of federal responsibility and federal spending. It would be the same if it was going the other way. Now certainly the various levels of government do talk and they do work together (and sometimes things will get done), but making promises regarding areas they can't control is nothing more than showmanship and grandstanding. People should realize that.

If people around here really want to focus on EI issues, they should be talking to Jay Hill and Dick Harris. Pat Bell is the man to talk to regarding policies pertaining to the operation of the BC forestry industry.