The Leader of the BC Liberals says the NDP don’t deserve to be in government if they don’t pay attention to the forestry crisis in the Interior.

Andrew Wilkinson says the $69 million forestry relief fund is insulting, because it also takes money away from the Rural Dividend Fund.

“They set up a whacking big budget for the fire season. Lightest fire season in ten years, so they had $300 million of unspent money,” he said on NL Newsday. “What did they do with it? Nothing. They’ve been spending so much money with other priorities, they have nothing left for the forest industry.”

Wilkinson says forestry will be one of the many files the Liberals press the NDP on during the next session of the Legislature that starts today.

“It’s an insulting package that they are putting in front of people,” he said of the forestry relief fund, “and the NDP have got to come to their senses and start to show up in the Interior and face the music.”

Forests Minister Doug Donaldson previously told NL the suspension of the Rural Dividend fund is temporary, with it set to return next year. Numerous B.C. communities though have raised concerns about the suspension of the fund in the weeks since the government announced it.