KAMLOOPS: With U.S. softwood lumber penalties looming, forestry workers and North Thompson communities need a government that will stand up for them says Kamloops-North Thompson NDP candidate Barb Nederpel.
"Barriere and Clearwater residents tell me that they are worried that Christy Clark and the BC Liberals will accept a softwood deal just to have it look like she is on the job" said Nederpel. "Our communities can't afford a deal at any cost and out of work residents are demanding that Clark act with their best interest in mind, not her corporate friends."
"The BC Liberals have overseen the loss of 30,000 forest jobs during their tenure" said Nederpel. "About 100 mills and other forest operations have closed, leaving our communities devastated."
BCNDP Leader John Horgan said that the last softwood lumber agreement didn’t work for the tens of thousands of people who lost their jobs even though international courts have ruled that our timber is not subsidized. U.S. corporations continue to push for higher duties that kill B.C. jobs.
“Christy Clark has been too busy flogging her LNG failure instead of getting to work defending forest jobs" said Nederpel. "To many B.C. Interior residents, it looks like she has given up on forest workers and our communities."
"We will fight for a new softwood deal that works for B.C. workers, their families and their communities" said Nederpel. "The way forward must include expansion of the industry in B.C. with more logs milled in B.C. and companies that add value rather than simply exporting raw logs."