KITIMAT– The closure of the Eurocan paper mill is the latest result of the B.C. Liberals’ failure to take any action to address the ongoing crisis in the B.C. forest industry, say the New Democrats.
The mill will close for good Sunday, resulting in the permanent loss of 535 family-Robin Austinsupporting jobs in Kitimat. Skeena MLA Robin Austin said the absence of provincial support for the affected workers has been noticeable.
“The B.C. Liberals have refused to contribute a single cent to the transition funding put forward by the federal government,” said Austin. “We’ve seen tens of thousands of workers lose their jobs in the forest industry and no help is coming from this government.
“This is a major employer in Kitimat shutting down and the inaction by the B.C. Liberals is, quite frankly, appalling.”
New Democrat forest critic Norm Macdonald said the B.C. Liberals have consistently put forward the fiction that good times are just around the corner for the forest industry, even in the face of continued temporary and indefinite closures.
“On Monday, Minister Pat Bell was quoted as saying that things were looking up for the industry,” said Macdonald, the MLA for Columbia River-Revelstoke. “He and his predecessor have been saying the same thing for years, yet the job losses continue to mount.
Norm Macdonald“They refuse to admit that their forest policies have been an abject failure and have contributed to the ongoing crisis in the industry.”
Macdonald said the changes the B.C. Liberals have made over the past two years have amounted to tinkering, when significant changes are necessary.
“Despite the minister’s assertions that things are changing, the result is the same: more job losses. We need an industry that produces a broader range of products and creates more jobs. Under the B.C. Liberals, we’ve seen less diversification and fewer jobs.”
New Democrat Leader Carole James has put forward a five-point plan to renew and modernize the forest industry. The plan includes: developing a green forest plan, developing an innovative and diverse industry, community and worker stabilization funding, a permanent commission on forestry and tenure reform.