NDP Candidate Reveals True NDP Agenda for Softwood

April 26, 2009

A Prince George NDP candidate has confirmed Carole James and the NDP still want to recklessly jeopardize the Softwood Lumber Agreement, even though that position that has been categorically rejected by major forest industry leaders.

Speaking at an all-candidates meeting on April 24, NDP candidate for Prince George - Mackenzie, Tobias Lawrence, said: "Carole James has stood up and we have said that we would like to renegotiate the Softwood Lumber Agreement… so standing here today, yes we would like to renegotiate."

"The NDP simply don't get it," says Forests Minister Pat Bell. "The industry is looking for leadership and stability and the NDP is offering to pick a fight with our largest trading partner. In terms of softwood lumber, the forest sector exported $10.1 billion in wood, pulp and paper products last year and $5.6 billion went to the American markets. It is irresponsible of the NDP to put forestry jobs at risk. British Columbia simply can't afford the NDP."

NDP forestry critic Bob Simpson had previously stated they would be prepared to risk a trade war with the U.S. with new subsidy policies that would violate the Agreement, a position that was harshly rejected by the head of the Coastal Forest Products Association and the BC Lumber Trade Council. "The fact of the matter is, what we pay today is far less than we paid in litigation," Lumber Trade Council president John Allan told the Vancouver Sun on April 9. "I don't see any point in adding gasoline to the fire that is already raging in Washington about protectionist sentiments and enforcement of trade deals."

And last week in a speech to the Quesnel Chamber of Commerce, the head of the world's largest softwood producer also rebuffed the NDP approach. "In my opinion, it is the height of irresponsibility to put the future of our industry at risk by advocating the province walk away from this deal," said West Fraser Timber CEO Hank Ketcham.

On top of the thousands of jobs at risk due to this position on the Softwood Lumber Agreement, a recent independent report says the NDP's environmental plan will cost British Columbia 60,000 jobs - mostly in rural B.C. communities that are dependent on the resource sector. Their decision to put a moratorium on clean energy development is risking thousands more potential jobs in an industry that already employs 1,100 people.

"The NDP have a plan to take B.C. back to the 1990s, a time when British Columbia was a have-not province, we had massive deficits and investment in our major industries fled the province," says Bell. "We have a plan to build the forest industry, to expand into new markets and develop bioenergy. We believe in the future of the forest sector and will work together to build a stronger B.C."