Enjoy the post while you can, election just around the corner...

hey Pat... where ya going to start? maybe deal with the raw log shipments? somehow I don't think so....

Congratulations on your new post, Pat.

PG is fortunate to have its MLA's in important positions in the cabinet. Important in 2 ways:

1. Ability to influence and direct policy
2. Strong voice for constituents' concerns

I think our Premier has done his homework on this one. I'm not into partisan politics, I wish there was some electoral system out there, that elected based on abilities, not political affiliation. I guess with Pat at the helm of forestry, we're as close as we're going to get, matching the man with this discipline.

Perhaps Gordo wants a break from the Forestry dilemma, hence put the the onus to a local MLA and redirect the tension.

Good luck Mr. Bell, you'll have your hands full.

Pat - STOP THE RAW LOG EXPORT IMMEDIATELY seeing as you are so familiar with forestry.
REDUCE THE FUEL TAX - as an ex-truck driver - you would know the cost!!

Good to see some local knowledge take this position..

Although I am happy for Mr. Bell for achieving his dream post, he has his work cut out for him. I am concerned about placing a new minister in charge of the industry in light of the current forestry circumstances. I hope Mr. Bell, that you have a plan that the other minister did not.

This COULD be a good thing for the north, or it could in fact be a disaster.
I do have to wonder about changing horses in mid-stream with a portfolio that has issues like the B.C.forest industry does right now.
So now what...back to square one?
It could also be nothing more than an attempted vote grab in the north by Campbell before he has to face an election,and Bell could also be nothing more than a sacrifial lamb.
Only time will tell.
Hopefully,Bell will be better at finding solutions and making policy changes than Rich Coleman was!
But being fair,the ministers don't make the desicions anyway...Campbell does.
In any event,the old Campbell mafia is still in place and I am not about to get too excited.
We still have the Campbell inner circle staffed by people in key positions the likes of Abbott,Falcon,Hansen,Bond,Christensen,Van Dongen, etc. etc.and that's where the power is...and the arrogance.
And why,WHY,would Campbell put someone like Gordon Hogg in the mining portfolio?
That goes a long ways to telling us just how important mining is to the Campbell Liberals!
Obviously not very important at all!

Speaking of changing horses in mid stream;
My perspective is that these MLA types just get to know what they are doing and then there is a shuffle, then they start fresh. Good for him that he is so thrilled to be landing his dream portfolio, I guess he was not so thrilled or maybe was getting bored as Ag. Minister (?) I think that on the whole Hamburger Pattie is a pretty good poli. and will grudgingly admit that he may be well suited to his new position but really, the MLA has very little pull. Well Pattie, you can quit pretending to be one of the farmers now, and be perhaps more comfortable in your day to day dealings with constituants.
metalman.

Could someone please tell who, where, how and when logs are being exported from Northern BC- I have a Darrwin award for them """""""""""""" There are no log exports (US or Asia) from Northern BC"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

Does Stewart count as northern BC? Go take a look there.

Herbster- suggest you take a Geography lesson- Steward BC is no where even close to Prince George or Mackenzie- no even the same region- 1000 Km apart.

You will do fine Pat. Just make sure that you stick to the script that Gordo supplies. A lot like a puppet show methinks.

I see dogs your still defending raw log export. When NCP can burn to the ground and their owner Canfor does not see the urgency in rebuilding a facility to process raw logs in B.C. That must mean they do not need a facility in B.C. to be in the B.C. forest industry. So dogs any raw log export from anywhere in B.C. is a dangerously slippery slope. Rupert will need something to do with their super port. Mr Bell I hope you enter your new portfolio with your eyes and ears open to the people.

How about chip supply for Powell River is being barged in from the States. The chips are from logs exported from BC.

HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

We will see if this chap can live with what he knows is wrong with our system.
Whether conscience prevails over following dead end policy.
We will see if his ears work better than just following his script writers.

He should toss his senior staff and start new, with people who care more about this province than just looking after a few corporations that are destroying it.
He could fire all those who decided to tell coleman that trees should go anywhere, to any town or foreign country.That as long as stumpage is paid that the trees can be burnt or left to rot. Take the best and leave the rest has to stop and the people who invented these retarded policies must go or it makes no difference who is minister.

In the time of the ancients there was a man named Cassander King of the Macedonians and this is the man that inherited the Empire of Alexander the Great (the greatest empire ever to that point in history). Cassander knew what was best in every situation, or so he thought, and eventually in only a few short years he destroyed the entire legacy of his predecessor setting back human history 2000 years.

Gordon (Cassander) Campbell is the closest proximity I can find in todays world of a modern day Cassander. I suspect Pat Bell's promotion will mean very little in positive policy because the Cassander is still in charge making all the decisions. At least in the case of Pat Bell his constituents in Mackenzie are now 95% unemployed so he will have to answer for his policies over the next few months, whereas Gordo Cassander Campbell on the other hand is full steam ahead for 2010....

Go to the port of Prince Rupert and watch the logs being loaded out onto ships.
Many logs...many,many,MANY logs!
Does that count as logs being exported from B.C. at a time when forestry is in the toilet?

"Blaming private land log exports for BC mill closures is like blaming birds who fly South for causing winter, or blaming people who use umbrellas for causing rain."

Not my words, just a quote from someone who knows more about the forestry than I.

beesknees, the forest expert whom you consulted for your words of wisdom, would lead you to believe only private land raw logs are being exported. Is dogs your forestry expert?

Unfortunately for the people of mill dependant communities, not much will change.

Any new Forest Policy will ultimately be dictated by the major companies who contribute a ton of money to the Liberals.

And if Mr. Bell likes his new cabinet position and wishes to hang on to it, he has to sell whatever the big companies want to the constituents.

Very well said Robin Hood.

Good call Robin Hood!

The question here is whether we continue to resign ourselves to the fate of which corporations dictate to us through our governments.
We can give up or push for change and actually have our governments change.
Laying down isn't an option as this is only going to get worse.
So robin hood, your observation of what has happenned to date is correct and so obvious it is that we must reign in our governments.
The opportunity we now have is that this minister must live amongst us and its up to us to make him understand that this cannot be allowed any longer.

Posted by: beesknees on June 24 2008 7:42 AM
"Blaming private land log exports for BC mill closures is like blaming birds who fly South for causing winter, or blaming people who use umbrellas for causing rain."

Not my words, just a quote from someone who knows more about the forestry than I.


No where have I read that anyone has said, raw log exports are the reason our mills are closing.
Our mills are closing and that makes it possible to export our logs, because they need to be milled somewhere.
In fact our mills are closing because it is more profitable for the greedy Liberal backed corporations in BC to mill our logs in their foreign owned mills.
To do that they must export our logs out of our country.

Simple really.

This log export issue is really not as simple as people find convenient to believe. It is in fact many issues which are different --in different places and at different times.

Very little of this log export dialogue is accurate or complete and if you want to debate this with "dogs" you will find a serious absence of complete explanation.
Dogs simply defends what he claims to put money in his pocket as do other people which just oppose it in any way shape or form.
This is not a black and white issue as people would like to conveniently think.

I'm glad Pat was appointed Forest Minister. He's a hard worker and he's proven himself to be a good minister. The only downside is that he now has that pain Bob Simpson as a critic...

Bob Simpson is the least of Pat's worries.

The mess which he has embraced is his real problem and how to unravel the agendas created by his predecessors.
There is a huge shift needed in the senior beuracracy as there is in the political masterminds which coordinate the corporate wishes.
To give coleman a shred of consideration is that he simply inherited what dejong signed when he was forest minister.
Dejong inherited the mess left by the NDP and so on.
So why is this happening? Why is this system marching in one direction, no matter who is minister?
The direction of which it is marching is one clue. The benefits to their position of monopolising each and every area of the province is another.
Corporately directed government is a priceless position to any corporation and the results are that we the taxpayors have little chance of even seeing what is going on--until its too late.
Pardon the analogy, but this is kinda like a date rape drug.
If Pat understands anything about the BC forest industry and is allowed to change anything, he must start with his senior advisors and political cohorts which have endorsed this march towards full corporate control of our resources---assuming that he has the wisdom and best interests of his constituents and the province at heart.