Carole James says: ‘Tax now, ask questions later’

Carole James has confirmed she has plans to introduce new taxes on the B.C. forest industry but refuses to say until after the election how high those taxes will be.

April 22, 2009

Carole James has confirmed she has plans to introduce new taxes on the B.C. forest industry but refuses to say until after the election how high those taxes will be.
 
“It is unacceptable that when forest workers are worried about their jobs, Carole James and the NDP are campaigning on raising taxes on the forest industry but won’t say by how much,” says Forest Minister Pat Bell.  “Only the NDP would think raising taxes on an industry would help create jobs. This is clearly a party that either doesn’t understand the forest industry, or is putting politics ahead of over 2,000  jobs.”
 
Bell was responding to Carole James’ comments yesterday where, despite acknowledging that workers depend on raw log exports for their jobs, she confirmed plans to increase the tax on raw log exports. James stated: “It's going to be more than the tax is now, there's no question.” Despite repeated questioning by reporters, she refused to say how much the NDP would increase the tax: “I am not going to tell you that I have a number in mind.” Despite her claim that she would not impose a unilateral tax without consultation, just a week earlier James announced $1-billion in punitive, new taxes on the resource sectors without any consultation. 
 
“These are livelihoods of workers and families that Carole James is playing with. They deserve an honest answer,” says Bell.  “For Carole James to state that she knows how much she will raise taxes by, but refuse to tell these workers until after the election, is appalling.  These workers will lose their jobs if Carole James raises that tax – they have a right to know her plans.”
 
It’s not just Carole James’ reckless tax policies that are threatening forest workers livelihoods. The Vancouver Sun also reported that James implied yesterday that if elected, an NDP Government intended to break up the tenures of B.C.’s largest forestry employers - Canfor, West Fraser Timber and Western Forest Products. This confirms earlier comments made by NDP forestry critic Bob Simpson: “We’re saying don’t play around with the forest license tenure system. Blow it up.” (CKNW, March 15, 2009).
 
 “There is not a single forest company in B.C. that thinks blowing up the tenure system in the middle of a global economic crisis would do anything other than destroy thousands of jobs,” says Bell.  “Layering on massive new levels of uncertainty when industry is already struggling is not just reckless, it’s incompetent. Carole James has a responsibility to understand the needs of B.C.’s forest industry and it’s clear from these policies she does not.”