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 provincial government could have done a whole lot more
to insulate the industry from the current crisis. Banning raw log
exports, incentives for domestic lumber markets, focus on value
added wood products and niche markets, are just a handful of ways the province could have helped.
It seems as if even Premier Campbell is becoming agitated with the inaction of
his Minister of Forests and Range, even if they are both ultimately responsible
for this mess.
Too little too late. If only they had listened to the workers and
community members who are most deeply affected by this crisis, they may have
figured out ways to avoid the majority of this crisis.
Forestry crisis is a sign of bigger problems
May 12, 2008Those of us thinking of driving anywhere this summer -- that would be a significant portion within this city of 80,000 people -- and bracing ourselves for the cost, may want to turn our thoughts to anyone in this community connected with forest industry.
Whether among the 500 or so from Harmac, the 100 unionized workers from Madill, or the host of businesses that supplied them, this summer will be a little worse for them than for the rest of us.
This is the worst year ever in the B.C. forest industry according to PricewaterhouseCoopers -- interestingly the same company that is now receivers for Pope and Talbot, the bankrupt owners of Harmac.
We are now used to hearing politicians and corporation toss around million-dollar figures, and on Friday Premier Gordon Campbell got his chance. He pledged that $129 million, the money from the federal government for community development, will go to forestry towns.
Anyone who has watched how this government has handled the growing forestry crisis can only think: "Too little, too late."
Those same watchers might also note that Forestry and Range Minister Rich Coleman was shunted to the side for this announcement. While the mind of the premier seems inscrutable even to his cabinet colleagues, it's worth asking if even Campbell has had enough of Coleman's mishandling of this portfolio.
But then, Coleman may have been hampered in his duties by the micromanaging premier, just as other former cabinet ministers were.
For Campbell to upstage his minister and say, "We're working with forest companies, labour and communities to ensure that B.C.'s forest sector receives effective, timely assistance," is as good as admitting his government's policies in the forest sector were a dismal failure.
This is a government that decided the best way to handle the forest industry already beset by the failed softwood lumber accord, increasing volatility, the strong Canadian dollar and an industry that had failed to keep pace with the rest of the world, was to do nothing.
They may have listened politely to labour and communities, but didn't hear them when they issued warnings that the government had to play a stronger hand. It was a case of one ideology dismissing another, even if there was truth in what labour and community groups were saying.
So for Campbell to now come and say they are working with industry, labour and communities is nothing less than an insult. That needed to happen five years ago. Even their discussions with forestry companies were little more than to say, "Do what you want, as long as the paperwork is clean."
Forestry companies, they felt, only needed more latitude to make profit. But profits went down, accidents went up and the market stagnated. Obviously the entire problem of shifting global economies cannot be laid at the feet of the ruling provincial Liberals. What can be laid at their feet is worse than an inadequate response.
Policies that could have insulated this province from what we are witnessing as the once mighty forestry hits bottom were ignored.
The United Steelworkers, representing most of the forestry sector workers in the B.C., had a part to play. But this government is only capable of looking upon labour as an irritant. Witness how unions representing teachers, health-care workers and ferry workers have been betrayed and subjected to legislation that even the Supreme Court of Canada would not tolerate.
Whether among the 500 or so from Harmac, the 100 unionized workers from Madill, or the host of businesses that supplied them, this summer will be a little worse for them than for the rest of us.
This is the worst year ever in the B.C. forest industry according to PricewaterhouseCoopers -- interestingly the same company that is now receivers for Pope and Talbot, the bankrupt owners of Harmac.
We are now used to hearing politicians and corporation toss around million-dollar figures, and on Friday Premier Gordon Campbell got his chance. He pledged that $129 million, the money from the federal government for community development, will go to forestry towns.
Anyone who has watched how this government has handled the growing forestry crisis can only think: "Too little, too late."
Those same watchers might also note that Forestry and Range Minister Rich Coleman was shunted to the side for this announcement. While the mind of the premier seems inscrutable even to his cabinet colleagues, it's worth asking if even Campbell has had enough of Coleman's mishandling of this portfolio.
But then, Coleman may have been hampered in his duties by the micromanaging premier, just as other former cabinet ministers were.
For Campbell to upstage his minister and say, "We're working with forest companies, labour and communities to ensure that B.C.'s forest sector receives effective, timely assistance," is as good as admitting his government's policies in the forest sector were a dismal failure.
This is a government that decided the best way to handle the forest industry already beset by the failed softwood lumber accord, increasing volatility, the strong Canadian dollar and an industry that had failed to keep pace with the rest of the world, was to do nothing.
They may have listened politely to labour and communities, but didn't hear them when they issued warnings that the government had to play a stronger hand. It was a case of one ideology dismissing another, even if there was truth in what labour and community groups were saying.
So for Campbell to now come and say they are working with industry, labour and communities is nothing less than an insult. That needed to happen five years ago. Even their discussions with forestry companies were little more than to say, "Do what you want, as long as the paperwork is clean."
Forestry companies, they felt, only needed more latitude to make profit. But profits went down, accidents went up and the market stagnated. Obviously the entire problem of shifting global economies cannot be laid at the feet of the ruling provincial Liberals. What can be laid at their feet is worse than an inadequate response.
Policies that could have insulated this province from what we are witnessing as the once mighty forestry hits bottom were ignored.
The United Steelworkers, representing most of the forestry sector workers in the B.C., had a part to play. But this government is only capable of looking upon labour as an irritant. Witness how unions representing teachers, health-care workers and ferry workers have been betrayed and subjected to legislation that even the Supreme Court of Canada would not tolerate.
Part of the crisis in the forest industry then is based in a vendetta in Victoria against the labour movement. Labour-supported NDP governments may have been inept, but there is no good reason to undercut, betray and ignore labour groups that can help with crucial decisions.
The forest crisis is an indication that excluding working people from the economic equation is the worst way to make public policy.
