OTTAWA – In the wake of recent announcements of more regional forest industry shut downs, layoffs and plant closures – from Castlegar, to Meadow Creek, to Grand Forks and beyond - BC Southern Interior NDP MP Alex Atamanenko is calling the government’s recent announcement of a $1 Billion aid package to forestry and manufacturing communities “a mess.”
“Following Harper’s softwood sell-out which has taken $1.5 billion dollars out of softwood communities and cost 10,000 jobs in BC, this aid package is far too little and much too late. It will do little to assist the workers and communities who largely rely on single industries.”
“On the surface the $1 Billion sounds like a good idea,” said the MP, “but in truth, it will be divided over three years among the provinces and territories. In fact, no one will see any money until each jurisdiction negotiates a separate agreement with Ottawa.”
“I am concerned that the delivery via the Provinces will delay measures, have inconsistent standards and ineffective measures applied, and in the end not be enough of a financial commitment to the industry or forestry workers to make a significant difference,” said Atamanenko.
“What’s needed is a complete review of the industry by the Natural Resources Committee of Parliament. My office is hearing from workers who have been told that they’re not eligible for Employment Insurance benefits or the retraining programs that go with those benefits, even though they have been paying their premiums. This is despite NDP and Bloc efforts to support Bill C269 last year that challenged the current EI program rigidity – where almost 60% of the unemployed are denied benefits to which they should be entitled.”
The Community Development Trust announcement calls for the provinces and territories to run the job training and community transition programs. It states that the funding is intended to supplement existing and proposed investments by provincial and territorial governments in order to support community enhancement and development.
“While I agree that communities in the southern interior need to look at ways to diversify their economies, I also know that the forest industry is cyclical and assistance to bridge these times for forestry workers and communities, and plan ways to stimulate the industry and transform it into one that is vibrant, sustainable and competitive could serve us best in the long-run,” added the MP. “As well, the fate of some of the last family and community-owned companies in the province are hanging in the balance.”