Press Release
NDP forestry critic John Rafferty (Thunder Bay-Rainy River) was joined by deputy leader Thomas Mulcair (Outrremont) yesterday in calling on the federal government to immediately outline and implement a forestry strategy to assist all sectors of the industry, to provide further assistance to hard-hit forestry communities, and to protect the jobs and pensions of forestry workers.
Rafferty also announced the tabling of his own private member’s motion that would have the federal government match U.S. subsidies to the pulp and paper industry in their country.
“With more than 45,000 jobs lost in the last two years, and hundreds of thousands threatened, this government must act now to help the forestry industry, communities, and working families survive the economic crisis,” said Rafferty.
“With the bankruptcy of AbitibiBowater last week and desperate calls for action now coming from workers and producers, this government must create and implement a national forestry strategy immediately.
“There are hundreds of thousands of jobs at stake,” he stressed.
Rafferty also said his private member’s motion would help pulp and paper producers like AbitibiBowater, Domtar, and Tembec better compete with their U.S. counterparts that receive massive subsidies.
“The motion calls on the government to level the playing field in the pulp and paper industry in North America,” Rafferty explained.
“It asks the government to negotiate an end to the unfair ‘black liquor’ subsidy in the U.S. before June, or otherwise implement a similar regime in Canada.
“This action alone could immediately save tens of thousands of jobs in Canada,” he noted.
Mulcair charged the U.S. is blatantly circumventing the softwood lumber agreement, saying they are helping their pulp and paper industry by providing a “green” energy subsidy for black liquor, a by-product of the manufacturing process.
“At the same time, the Canadian government, too afraid to act, is even refusing to grant loan guarantees at the commercial rate.
“As a result, our industry is dying while our workers are losing their jobs and their pensions,” Mulcair stressed.
The Conservative government has come under fire recently from the Communication, Energy and Paperworkers Union and the Forestry Products Association of Canada for not implementing a national forestry strategy since coming to power.
The CEP and FPAC also have both called on the Harper government to respond to the “black liquor” subsidy in the U.S. by negotiations or legislative measures as prescribed in Rafferty’s motion.
