Harper government crippling forestry communities: NDP

NEWS RELEASE CLAUDE GRAVELLE, MP ************************* Inadequate government aid harming Northern forestry communities NDP demands national summit and real forestry strategy OTTAWA - Fresh Parliamentary evidence from Canada's leading forestry

NEWS RELEASE

CLAUDE GRAVELLE, MP

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Inadequate government aid harming Northern forestry communities

NDP demands national summit and real forestry strategy

OTTAWA - Fresh Parliamentary evidence from Canada's leading forestry industry group confirms how pitifully inadequate federal government aid has been to struggling Northern communities and how imperative a national forestry strategy is, Natural Resources critic Claude Gravelle (Nickel Belt) said today.

“The industry acknowledges the companies are the economic backbone to our communities but the government cripples workers and our communities with no action and tolerating the unfair trade advantage foreign competitors have,” Gravelle said after MPs on the natural resources committee heard testimony from the Forest Products Association of Canada.

In questions, Gravelle rhymed off a litany of Northern communities near or in Thunder Bay that are reeling from the loss of 34,500 jobs since 2006 – the closing of Global Sticks on November 21, a five-week layoff at Resolute Forest Products in Fort Frances, and imminent shutdown of Terrace Bay Mill near Thunder Bay.

He cited Goulard Lumber in Sturgeon Falls and Domtar [shown] in Espanola who lost considerable sales because of U.S. government black liquor subsidies pocketed by foreign business owners able to undercut Canadian prices.

“The Harper Conservatives has failed to hold the national summit called for in an all-party report three years ago and typically relies largely on diversification and market expansion which while smart ideas will not be help these communities now,” Gravelle said. “We are not out of the woods yet.”

New Democrat John Rafferty (Thunder Bay-Rainy River) has introduced three motions (M-298, M-299, M-300) to kick start a national strategy including holding a national forestry summit, direct federal assistance for the industry wide transformation to next generation bio-products, and the monitoring and off-setting of unfair subsidies to mills and producers in competing markets such as the United States.

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