Minister’s timing looks suspicious
WORTH REPEATING
John McCallum, the federal government’s minister of natural resources, was in Thunder Bay Wednesday. And he was promising financial gifts to the forest industry. Hmmm, isn’t that interesting.
Didn’t the Canadian Press report that New Democrat leader Jack Layton was no longer interested in supporting the Liberal government and, as a result, a non-confidence vote and a holiday election campaign were possible? And isn’t McCallum a Liberal Member of Parliament? Hmm. Interesting. Not to sound cynical, but it looks like McCallum’s trying to retain support for his colleagues in Thunder Bay — a Liberal stronghold for years — by making vague promises, appearing on television and getting his name in the newspaper. The minister said the government is putting together an aid package for the forest industry and it will be delivered before Christmas. It will include loan guarantees, incentives to improve inknow dustries, find new markets and increase energy efficiency.
That’s great. Managers and employees in the forest sector are likely to take any sort of help they can get. But McCallum’s announcement is too vague and too late in the game. People in this community need more details about this aid package before it can be adequately judged.
Also, the federal government should that the problems facing the industry are systemic — handing over money would just fix short- term problems, not long- term ones. One systemic problem the feds still need to fix is the softwood lumber dispute with the United States. What the forest industry also needs is for the provincial government to reduce energy costs in the region. And that doesn’t look like it will happen anytime soon. And here’s another question: Why now?
If this aid package has been in the works, why is it being announced mere months before a potential election? Politicians in this community have known about the forestry problems since the start of the year, at least.
Financial help from the federal government is welcome, but the timing is terrible. This is an edited version of an editorial in the Chronicle Journal, Thunder Bay.