This page contains annotated news stories and press releases with commentary about land reform and the democratic process in British Columbia. Our comments are shown in red.
The repeating echo call for Coleman's resignation sounds again.
Time For a New Forest Minister!
Time For a New Forest Minister!
Steelworkers expand on call for Coleman’s resignation
Jun 05, 2008http://www.bclocalnews.com/bc_cariboo/williamslaketribune/opinion/letters
By Norm Prevost
I always enjoy Diana French’s column and Tuesday, May 27 was no exception.
After reading her piece about the Steelworkers’ campaign to have Forest Minister Rich Coleman resign, I thought a little more information would be helpful to explain the reason why we are asking for his resignation.
After repeatedly saying his hands were tied and he could do nothing for the forest industry, Coleman recently claimed that the largest modernization of B.C.’s forest industry in history took place between 2004 and 2007, totalling “billions of dollars of investment in modernization.”
Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, five big B.C. forest companies invested $3.3 billion in the U.S. That’s one and two thirds as much as the total investment in the B.C. wood product industry over the same four years.
Using data from Statistics Canada, BC Stats and news reports, USW research shows that while West Fraser, Canfor, Interfor, Ainsworth and Brookfield Asset Management — parent to Island Timber and major shareholder in Western Forest Products — spend $3.3 billion buying U.S. sawmills, OSB mills and other assets, only slightly more than $2 billion was spent on repairs, machinery or equipment for their B.C. wood products facilities.
Today there is no question that Gordon Campbell government’s forest policies have failed ordinary British Columbians.
Since 2001, more than 46 manufacturing facilities have shut down and some 20,000 jobs have been lost. It is estimated that more than 10,000 workers have been impacted in the past six months alone.
Rather than stopping a rising tide of raw log exports, the BC Liberals have opened the flood gates.
Instead of improving access to the U.S. market, Campbell and Prime Minister Stephen Harper have helped reduce access to our major forest products market.
Corporation haven’t stopped closing mills and investing their profits in the U.S. Instead, they have permanently closed more mills and diverted more capital to the U.S.
This shows that the crisis in our forest industry is more than a crisis of markets or the dollar; it’s a crisis in investment and government policy.
We urgently need more investment that will protect existing jobs, build the mills and provide the skills we need to be competitive.
As for Coleman, he obviously doesn’t know the difference between the U.S. and us.
After reading her piece about the Steelworkers’ campaign to have Forest Minister Rich Coleman resign, I thought a little more information would be helpful to explain the reason why we are asking for his resignation.
After repeatedly saying his hands were tied and he could do nothing for the forest industry, Coleman recently claimed that the largest modernization of B.C.’s forest industry in history took place between 2004 and 2007, totalling “billions of dollars of investment in modernization.”
Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, five big B.C. forest companies invested $3.3 billion in the U.S. That’s one and two thirds as much as the total investment in the B.C. wood product industry over the same four years.
Using data from Statistics Canada, BC Stats and news reports, USW research shows that while West Fraser, Canfor, Interfor, Ainsworth and Brookfield Asset Management — parent to Island Timber and major shareholder in Western Forest Products — spend $3.3 billion buying U.S. sawmills, OSB mills and other assets, only slightly more than $2 billion was spent on repairs, machinery or equipment for their B.C. wood products facilities.
Today there is no question that Gordon Campbell government’s forest policies have failed ordinary British Columbians.
Since 2001, more than 46 manufacturing facilities have shut down and some 20,000 jobs have been lost. It is estimated that more than 10,000 workers have been impacted in the past six months alone.
Rather than stopping a rising tide of raw log exports, the BC Liberals have opened the flood gates.
Instead of improving access to the U.S. market, Campbell and Prime Minister Stephen Harper have helped reduce access to our major forest products market.
Corporation haven’t stopped closing mills and investing their profits in the U.S. Instead, they have permanently closed more mills and diverted more capital to the U.S.
This shows that the crisis in our forest industry is more than a crisis of markets or the dollar; it’s a crisis in investment and government policy.
We urgently need more investment that will protect existing jobs, build the mills and provide the skills we need to be competitive.
As for Coleman, he obviously doesn’t know the difference between the U.S. and us.
