Skip to main content

“I am a Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, or free to choose those who shall govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind.” ~~ John G. Diefenbaker

Nearly a quarter of resource sector workers are now out of work – what is the provincial government of BC NDP Premier John Horgan doing about the situation -- Conservative leader Trevor Bolin


In a media release from the Conservative Party of BC this morning, they indicated that despite Statistics Canada showing that employment held steady in BC for the month of February, the unemployment rate had risen markedly. With more people searching for work, they stated the result was a .5% increase in the unemployment rate, sending it to 5%.

“In reviewing the employment statistics, it’s clear that BC’s resource sector continues to be hard hit, as both the federal and provincial governments fail to get a handle on the troubles this sector is facing”, said Conservative Party of BC leader Trevor Bolin.

“This news is staggering”, he continued. “Statistics Canada shows that between February 2019, and February 2020, employment in BC’s Natural Resource sector dropped by 21.9%”. (Table 6 - Employment by province and industry, seasonally adjusted).

“Nearly a quarter of resource workers are now out of work, and so the question must be asked – what is the provincial government of BC NDP Premier John Horgan doing about the situation?”

“Last month we raised alarms saying BC’s Labour Minister, Harry Bains, should be concerned when news came out that there had been 6,100 full-time job loses experienced across the province. 

And while a small bright spot in employment news showed employment increasing by 1,000 for women aged 25 plus (between January and February), this was wiped out with employment for men in the same age group dropping by 13,000 – going from 1.170 million to 1.157 million. (Table 5 - Labour force characteristics by province, age group and sex, seasonally adjusted).

“This month’s employment stats show nothing has changed in the way government is handling the situation -- and thousands of forestry workers, miners, and oil and gas workers -- along with 1000’s of others – simply continue to wonder whether they’ll ever be able to find work in the fields again”.




After receiving the parties early morning media release, I called to ask Bolin about yesterdays news, from Advanced Education Minister Melanie Mark, that ... new workers to the forestry sector would be able to train tuition-free, at post secondary schools, for a range of forestry jobs. 

“New workers?”, Bolin remarked.

“We already have thousands of forestry workers with no jobs to go to, and Mark is about to train even more for jobs that don’t exist!  That is the very definition of insanity”.

“As Conservatives in BC, we are going to continue to call for job development to become a top priority for this current NDP government of John Horgan.”

If they can’t deliver on that, then it’s time for them to step aside”, Bolin concluded.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

BC cannot regulate, redesign, and reinterpret its way to a stable forestry sector. Communities need clear rules, predictable timelines, and accountability for results.

Photo credit:  Atli Resources LP   BC’s Forestry Crisis Continues with Closure of Beaver Cove Chip Facility   As industry leaders, Indigenous partners, and contractors gather this week at the BC Natural Resources Forum in Prince George, the gap between government rhetoric and reality could not be clearer. Just hours after the Eby government once again touted reconciliation, certainty, and economic opportunity under DRIPA, Atli Chip Ltd, a company wholly owned by the ’Na̱mg̱is First Nation, announced it is managing the orderly closure of its Beaver Cove chip facility. The closure comes despite public tax dollars, repeated government announcements, and assurances that new policy frameworks would stabilize forestry employment and create long-term opportunity in rural and coastal British Columbia. “British Columbians are being told one story, while communities are living another,” said Ward Stamer, Critic for Forests. “This closure makes it clear that announcement...
Post a Comment
Read more

Stamer: Hope for Forestry Completely Shattered After Another Provincial Review Driven by DRIPA

IMAGE CREDIT:  Provincial Forestry Advisory Council Conservative Critic for Forests Ward Stamer says the final report from the Provincial Forestry Advisory Council confirms the worst fears of forestry workers and communities; instead of addressing the real issues driving mill closures and job losses, the NDP has produced a report that ignores industry realities and doubles down on governance restructuring. Despite years of warnings from forestry workers, contractors, and industry organizations about permitting delays, regulatory costs, fibre access, and the failure of BC Timber Sales, the PFAC report offers no urgency, no timelines, and no concrete action to stop the ongoing decline of the sector. “ This report completely shatters any remaining hope that the government is serious about saving forestry ,” said Stamer.  “ We didn’t need another study to tell us what industry has been saying for years. While mills close and workers lose their livelihoods, the NDP is focused on re...
Post a Comment
Read more

FORSETH – My question is, ‘How do we decide who is blue enough to be called a Conservative?’

How do we decide who’s blue enough to be a Conservative? AS OF TODAY (Friday January 30 th ), there are now eight individuals who have put their names forward to lead the Conservative Party of British Columbia. Having been involved with BC’s Conservatives since 2010, and having seen MANY ups and downs, having 8 people say “I want to lead the party” is to me, an incredible turn-around from the past. Sadly, however, it seems that our party cannot seem to shake what I, and others, call a purity test of ‘what is a Conservative’. And that seems to have already come to the forefront of the campaign by a couple of candidates. Let me just say as a Conservative Party of BC member, and as someone active in the party, that frustrates me to no end. Conservatives, more than any other political philosophy or belief, at least to me, seems to have the widest and broadest spectrum of ideals.   For the most part, they are anchored by these central thoughts --- smaller and less intru...
1 comment
Read more

Labels

Show more