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.
It is very important that government is held to account with regard to the Auditor General's report:
We must pressure the government to:
Overturn the TFL deletion decision
Halt Western Forest Products Subdivision Application
and Demand full Public Hearings on Western Forest Products Subdivision Applications
To view the report go to: http://www.bcauditor.com/include/view_file.asp?id=18&type=publication
We must pressure the government to:
Overturn the TFL deletion decision
Halt Western Forest Products Subdivision Application
and Demand full Public Hearings on Western Forest Products Subdivision Applications
To view the report go to: http://www.bcauditor.com/include/view_file.asp?id=18&type=publication
Public betrayed by tree-farm land removal, says AG
Jul 16, 2008VICTORIA - British Columbia's auditor general says the Liberal government failed the public by allowing vast tracts of private land to be removed from three publicly managed tree-farm licence areas - a report the government called offensive.
John Doyle said Wednesday that numerous public complaints sparked his investigation of the January 2007 decision to allow 28,000 hectares of private land owned by Western Forest Products to be removed from three island tree farm licences.
"The removal of private land . . . was approved without sufficient regard for the public interest," he said in the report released Wednesday.
Doyle said it appeared that then-forest minister Rich Coleman based his approval on a single six-page briefing note.
"It seems to me that citizens should expect government to go through these kinds of decisions carefully and to be fully briefed before those decisions are actually made," Doyle said.
"I can't see, looking at the evidence that we've collected . . . that in fact they did enough work to be able to support the decision they've made."
The report said the land in question was valued at $150 million and Doyle noted Coleman said the step was taken to assist the struggling forestry company, but there was nothing to back that up.
"We found no analysis to support statements this would help the firm keep jobs," he said.
Doyle said his team also looked into allegations of unusual stock trading that suggested someone was making profits from the transaction.
"We didn't find any evidence for that," Doyle said.
The allegations were passed along to the B.C. Securities Commission, which said Wednesday no investigation was warranted and the file was closed in May.
Current Forests Minister Pat Bell immediately launched his own heated attack.
"I'm very concerned about the approach that Mr. Doyle has taken," he said. "It is in my view unprofessional, lacking of integrity, (and) he's not done his homework."
Bell went on to say the government was actually "offended" by the report, which he called totally inappropriate.
Coleman, who was shuffled out of the forests portfolio last month, issued a statement Wednesday saying the auditor general had contacted him about potential conflict of interest concerns.
Click here to find out more!
Now minister for Housing and Social Development, Coleman said he took it upon himself to contact the province's conflict of interest commissioner, formally requesting an opinion.
"I believe that I have always acted in good faith and have respected my position as a minister of the Crown. I look forward to receiving the commissioner's opinion," Coleman said in the statement.
The Forests Ministry said the report used a tone that was "neither neutral nor factual" - an allegation dismissed by Doyle.
"I've looked at this from an objective point of view and basically, what I'm saying, is that I don't think the briefing papers and documentation were adequate for the task," he said.
The ministry also complained that it was not given a meaningful opportunity to respond to his conclusions, which Doyle also rejected.
He said the ministry was able to respond to a draft report and were offered a chance to make a written response to be included in the final report. But the ministry made no comment even after the deadline was extended.
The Opposition New Democrats called for the government to reverse the decision or at least freeze any transactions on the land pending consultation with stakeholders.
That's a move supported by Vancouver Island environmentalist Vicky Husband, who said the report reinforced her suspicions that the B.C. government was so busy keeping Western Forest Products "on life support" that it totally failed to consider the broader public interest.
"We are asking the government to reverse their decision," she said, adding a planned subdivision west of the southern Vancouver Island community of Sooke should be halted.
The Hupacasath First Nation has launched a lawsuit in another tree farm licence removal, saying the province failed to consult the band about the removal of more than 70,000 hectares of land near Port Alberni.
The Hupacasath say the land is in its traditional territory and contains sacred and cultural sites.
John Doyle said Wednesday that numerous public complaints sparked his investigation of the January 2007 decision to allow 28,000 hectares of private land owned by Western Forest Products to be removed from three island tree farm licences.
"The removal of private land . . . was approved without sufficient regard for the public interest," he said in the report released Wednesday.
Doyle said it appeared that then-forest minister Rich Coleman based his approval on a single six-page briefing note.
"It seems to me that citizens should expect government to go through these kinds of decisions carefully and to be fully briefed before those decisions are actually made," Doyle said.
"I can't see, looking at the evidence that we've collected . . . that in fact they did enough work to be able to support the decision they've made."
The report said the land in question was valued at $150 million and Doyle noted Coleman said the step was taken to assist the struggling forestry company, but there was nothing to back that up.
"We found no analysis to support statements this would help the firm keep jobs," he said.
Doyle said his team also looked into allegations of unusual stock trading that suggested someone was making profits from the transaction.
"We didn't find any evidence for that," Doyle said.
The allegations were passed along to the B.C. Securities Commission, which said Wednesday no investigation was warranted and the file was closed in May.
Current Forests Minister Pat Bell immediately launched his own heated attack.
"I'm very concerned about the approach that Mr. Doyle has taken," he said. "It is in my view unprofessional, lacking of integrity, (and) he's not done his homework."
Bell went on to say the government was actually "offended" by the report, which he called totally inappropriate.
Coleman, who was shuffled out of the forests portfolio last month, issued a statement Wednesday saying the auditor general had contacted him about potential conflict of interest concerns.
Click here to find out more!
Now minister for Housing and Social Development, Coleman said he took it upon himself to contact the province's conflict of interest commissioner, formally requesting an opinion.
"I believe that I have always acted in good faith and have respected my position as a minister of the Crown. I look forward to receiving the commissioner's opinion," Coleman said in the statement.
The Forests Ministry said the report used a tone that was "neither neutral nor factual" - an allegation dismissed by Doyle.
"I've looked at this from an objective point of view and basically, what I'm saying, is that I don't think the briefing papers and documentation were adequate for the task," he said.
The ministry also complained that it was not given a meaningful opportunity to respond to his conclusions, which Doyle also rejected.
He said the ministry was able to respond to a draft report and were offered a chance to make a written response to be included in the final report. But the ministry made no comment even after the deadline was extended.
The Opposition New Democrats called for the government to reverse the decision or at least freeze any transactions on the land pending consultation with stakeholders.
That's a move supported by Vancouver Island environmentalist Vicky Husband, who said the report reinforced her suspicions that the B.C. government was so busy keeping Western Forest Products "on life support" that it totally failed to consider the broader public interest.
"We are asking the government to reverse their decision," she said, adding a planned subdivision west of the southern Vancouver Island community of Sooke should be halted.
The Hupacasath First Nation has launched a lawsuit in another tree farm licence removal, saying the province failed to consult the band about the removal of more than 70,000 hectares of land near Port Alberni.
The Hupacasath say the land is in its traditional territory and contains sacred and cultural sites.
