Forest Critics Visit Interior

Thursday, August 13, 2009 09:44 PM

Victoria, B.C. - New Democrat forest critic Norm Macdonald and deputy critic Bill Routley will meet with stakeholders in Interior communities hard hit by the struggling forest industry.

"The B.C. Liberal government has abandoned the forest industry, and has left rural and Interior communities to struggle," said Macdonald, MLA for Columbia River-Revelstoke. "For years the Campbell Liberals have been 'spectators' to an industry in collapse. Gordon Campbell’s underlying message continues to be that he doesn’t care about forest-dependent communities.”

Macdonald and Routley will be in Kamloops on Monday and Prince George on Tuesday before travelling to Mackenzie and Dawson Creek, Wednesday. The New Democrat forest critics will meet with workers, businesses, and local governments to discuss what needs to be done to stimulate the industry.

"Forest workers and their families have heard the Campbell government say for years that there was nothing to be done about the decline of their industry," said Macdonald. "Carole James and the New Democrats are listening and working toward stimulating the industry.”

Macdonald said log exports, mill closures, job loss, injuries and fatalities are just some of the problems plaguing the industry.

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Posted on Thursday, August 13, 2009 09:44 PM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: northman on August 13 2009 10:04 PM

"The B.C. Liberal government has abandoned the forest industry"

The govt (any govt!) really doesn't have any control over a dying industry. You can bail it you all you want but you cant drive up the market price for lumber. The ball is in the industry's court. Lets face the facts, the baby boomers arent building big houses anymore which require lots of dimension lumber. The credit crisis has played a role in this but demographics have played a bigger part. With the massive surplus of foreclosed houses flooding the market and in about 5-10 years when the head of the boomers start selling their houses there will be little housing starts.

Posted by: Poppa on August 13 2009 11:54 PM

"Carole James and the New Democrats are listening and working toward stimulating the industry.�

What the heck do they think they can "stimulate" that real thinking people haven't already been trying? If there is no lumber being bought then it doesn't make too much sense to produce a whole bunch!Get your heads out of the sand people - it's a world wide slump!
What would the NDP do,give everybody the money to build the home of their dreams? Well at least all their cronies!

Posted by: metalman on August 14 2009 8:17 AM

Poppa, I think that the NDP is posturing, they seem to think the way to our hearts is to heckle the Liberals. Unfortunatly for the NDP, they do not seem to realize that we know that they are acting reactively, in other words, reacting to what the liberals do and say, or to whatever issue the news media decide to make an issue over. As much as I would like to blame the Provincial government for the lack of a forest industry in B.C. it is not their fault. Like Northman says, demographics probably play a large role, in conjunction with the past lunacy of easy credit for unwitting consumers. All, I say, another sign of the ever present greed many of us share. Follow the money.
metalman.

Posted by: gus on August 14 2009 8:53 AM

"Carole James and the New Democrats are listening and working toward stimulating the industry."

Lots or people are doing that. When did they start doing that? When will they have the answers?

----------------

"Macdonald said log exports, mill closures, job loss, injuries and fatalities are just some of the problems plaguing the industry."

He is one sharp cookie!! Obviously he has a lot of insight that few people have. People in Mackenzie will be able to breathe a sigh of relief when they meet him.

Posted by: MrPG on August 14 2009 8:56 AM

metalman's got it right. Until the NDP can become a party that has its own policy rather than be a Gordo-heckling party, they won't get anywhere.

Posted by: woodchipper on August 14 2009 9:25 AM

Partisan politics aside it would seem that anyone trying to find any shred of a solution should be seen as a positive thing.

True enough that governments have very limited abilities to effect the markets, but they certainly have effect upon the costs of producing these products.
Is the market too low OR is it that our costs are too high? Its both and if more could be done on the cost side then perhaps more operations would be in the black..operating and employing people.

Posted by: gus on August 14 2009 2:43 PM

If there are no pine trees, then ther are no pine trees. Wanta plant some for 2070 harveast? It'll cost you.

If there is no one building, there is no one building. No one is going to build because the lumber is $1,00 cheaper for a $150,000 house.

Reduce the stumpage? Make up the difference with increased taxes .. thus we pay for someone else's benefit.

When is enough enough? Find new markets! That too costs money.

Posted by: Harbinger on August 15 2009 11:47 AM

"I'm from the government and I am here to help." First thing that came to my mind.