The Spin:
Carole James claims her party can “renegotiate” the softwood lumber agreement and that this will benefit the forest industry.
The Facts:
What Carole James is really saying is she wants rip up the agreement that has returned $2.4 billion to the BC forest industry -- just like the Jack Layton NDP wants to do -- and undermine the stability and resources that agreement has brought to this sector and our provincial economy.
The Proof:
Carole James and her MLAs have been repeatedly on the record about their intentions to tear up the agreement, and despite her attempts to distance herself from Layton’s agenda there is no doubt that both federal and provincial NDP are the same party.
Here’s the full story:
- Prior to the Softwood Agreement, BC’s forest industry was forced to pay export duties ranging between 20 per cent and 30 per cent regardless of the price of lumber. This added significant costs to production that undermined the competitive advantages of our industry, and jobs were lost.
- Under this agreement, $2.4 billion in duties has been returned to BC companies along with nearly $200 million back to government to invest in priorities such as the pine beetle – and all that is forfeited if the deal is broken.
- Jack Layton, in his 2008 platform, committed to “end” the Agreement if they won – merely to appease voters in Ontario. The federal and the provincial NDP are constitutionally connected through funding, membership and through shared policies.
- The NDP have tried to fool people that the deal can be reopened; but the reality is they know this can’t be done. What they are really saying is they don’t support the deal and want to eliminate it. They said it themselves:
- “[The NDP will] take the Softwood Lumber Agreement to hearings to determine what steps should be taken – up to and including abrogation…” – NDP Five-Point Forestry Plan, Feb 7/08
- “It's a bad deal. Now, I've said you need to look at renegotiating it. You need to go back to the table.” – Carole James, Voice of BC, Oct. 2/08
- “Is this a deal we can support? No, not on your life.” – Bob Simpson, NDP Forestry Critic, Hansard, Feb 18/08
- “We want out of the deal.” – Bob Simpson, Forestry Critic, CKNW, Oct. 5/08
The Bottom Line?
Carole James and her party can mince words however they want, but their intentions are clear –- like their federal cousins, they want to rip up the last source of stability in our forest sector, and jeopardize thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in investment.
