British Columbia Federation of Labour

Damning Auditor General's private land report shows BC Liberals sell-out public interest while rewarding forest companies with land giveaways

Vancouver-Today's report from BC's Auditor General is a damning indictment of the BC Liberal government's removal of private lands from Tree Farm Licenses, said Jim Sinclair, President of the B.C. Federation of Labour.

"The Auditor-General makes clear today what forest workers and forest communities have been saying all along," Sinclair said, "these removals were not only never in the public interest they were guided only by the governments consideration for private forest companies."

While many of these removals were approved by then Forest Minister Rich Coleman, the process began under then Minister Mike DeJong. "This isn't just one Minister or one individual, it's clear that the removal of private lands was a government directive," said Sinclair. The Auditor General‘s report states "the Ministry's process and recommendation were based largely on a belief that the removal of private land was consistent with government's direction."

Sinclair also noted that the Auditor General's report makes mention of the significant political donations the BC Liberals receive from forest companies. Since 1996, the BC Liberals have received over $6.5 million dollars from forest companies including over $500,000 received in 2007.

"It's clear from today's report the Campbell government puts their own partisan interests before the interests of forest communities," Sinclair stated. "Gordon Campbell and the BC Liberals should announce today that they will no longer accept any donations from forest companies, and return any dollars they may have already received this year."

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For more information contact: Jessie Uppal, cell: 604-220-0739.