VICTORIA-  B.C. New Democrat Leader John Horgan released the following statement on today’s announcement by Anglo American that they are downscaling their Peace River coal mining operations:

“The massive downscaling of coal mining operations and subsequent job losses is devastating news for Tumbler Ridge, which has seen the loss of most of its mining jobs in the last year.

“While family-supporting resource jobs like these are crucial for northern B.C.’s economy, the Liberal government is failing at building and protecting them.

“Christy Clark has said she would open up eight new mines, but we’re seeing mine after mine close.

“It’s yet another example of the B.C. Liberals’ failed ‘jobs plan’ when the only miners left working in the Tumbler Ridge area are temporary foreign workers.

“This government has put all its eggs in the LNG basket, at the expense of other resource development.  And they’re even failing at that.”