After a rural caucus tour throughout the Interior to talk about forestry, the Kamloops-South MLA is asking the Premier and the Forest Minister to show up.
Speaking on NL Newsday, Todd Stone says, politics aside, this downturn in B.C. forestry has been expected for some time because there’s not enough trees to feed local mills.
“We all know there’s going to be some contraction and there’s going to be some community impact as a result of that. But what’s unforgivable is that the government of the day, John Horgan’s NDP government, hasn’t shown up in the Interior. The Premier hasn’t actually stepped foot in the Interior, not a single time, since this forestry crisis began,” Stone says.
“(Forest Minister) Doug Donaldson has been missing in action last week. He took time last week to go and take a look at that rock slide in the Fraser Canyon, which I totally support that… But he shows up to show his support for the salmon, but he couldn’t take an extra to drive a little further up the road and meet with folks in Ashcroft and Cache Creek and Chasm, to make sure those forestry workers know he’s also got their backs.”
Stone says at the very least, the government of the day needs to show up in communities affected and let people know they have their backs.
Donaldson has spoken about ways to handle the forestry downturn going forward, and in recent times his ministry staff has met with local represents in Clearwater and with the Simpcw First Nation.
“There are some immediate short term things that need to start happening on the ground to support workers, and it’s the government of the day that can make that stuff happen. But you have to show up,” Stone says. “And at the very least, the government needs to start showing up to let people know you have their back. That hasn’t happened, and we’re many weeks into this rapidly-unfolding forestry crisis.”