“No one asked communities and workers for input so there is no surprise that there is not much there for us,” said USW Western Canadian Director Steve Hunt. “Of course, we always welcome new money for silviculture and research, but the changes to log export policy miss the mark and the other components are little more than a repackaging of the same ideas we’ve been hearing for the last few years.

 

“And, while Minister Coleman dithered, dozens of mills closed down and raw log exports have sky-rocketed.”

 

The USW has argued for a log export equivalency tax equal to the difference in the export price and the domestic price for logs. The union says tying the new fee to the US softwood lumber tax ignores the significant level of log exports going to China, Japan and Korea. In addition, the “plan” ignores the bulk of the problem by ignoring the demand from the union and coastal communities for the province to work with the federal government to curb log exports off private forest lands on Vancouver Island.

 

The union is also critical of the extension of the blanket 35-per-cent log export exemption for the central and north coast.

 

“It is mean-spirited to announce that we have to export Crown logs from that area because of a lack of local processing capacity mere days after it was announced the last central coast sawmill is closing,” said USW Wood Council Chair Bob Matters.

 

The USW is not opposed to changing tenures, but the process to do so must involve broader public consultation not just input from licencees. In addition, making new, smaller tenures available is a positive move. However, the overall benefits will be limited as value-added companies cannot hold tenures without being penalized under the US-Canada Softwood Lumber Agreement.

“As always with this government, the task of ensuring jobs and community sustainability are left to the big companies, who have repeatedly proven that they are not up to the task,” said Hunt.