Carole James’ announcement that she would acquire “12,000 hectares of forest land sold-off to private interests by the Campbell government” is both dishonest and completely disingenuous.
April 29, 2009 Carole James’ announcement that she would acquire “12,000 hectares of forest land sold-off to private interests by the Campbell government” is both dishonest and completely disingenuous. Here are the facts:
- The Jordan River lands have been privately owned from more than 50 years.
- When private forest companies included land in Tree Farm Licences (TFLs), they always retained the legal right to request that it be removed.
- In fact, in 1999 the NDP government removed 53,000 hectares of private forest land from TimberWest’s tree farm licences on Vancouver Island.
- All of the land removed from the TFLs remains subject to applicable local zoning and local controls over land use decisions.
The fact is the NDP’s announcement today is yet another unfunded commitment and more proof that the NDP is now simply making policy on the fly.
- The NDP Platform, which is just over two weeks old, contains no money for land acquisition let alone the purchase of 12,000 hectares of privately-owned land.
- Carole James has tried to explain this gaping hole in her credibility by stating that she will explore a land swap and trade publicly-owned land for privately-owned land.
- This raises the obvious question: what public land do Carole James and the NDP plan to give this private company?
- Is it the Sooke Potholes Provincial Park that the BC Liberals created and the NDP voted against?
- Is it the MacMillan (Cathedral Grove) Provincial Park that the BC Liberals doubled in size and the NDP voted against?
The fact is the NDP have no plan to acquire this land. This is simply more dishonest, unfunded policy on the fly from the NDP.
