This isn't the whole story of the NDP, loggers and the environmental
movement, Paul.
As part of its pandering to business and right wing labour, the BC NDP
government actually labelled Greenpeace "enemies of BC". When enviros
were arrested for blocking logging in the Carmanah watershed a couple of
years back (this is -- was? -- a pristine valley of old growth) they were
charged with _conspiracy_ for Chrissake.
In further pandering to the loggers (who have helped organize notoriously
anti-labour, right wing groups like the Share folks), the government has
encouraged logging in very fragile watersheds, jeopardizing the water
supply in areas like the Slocan Valley.
The NDP's environmental record may look good from afar. But here on the
ground it looks like the shits.
Sid Shniad
> > Max talks about the conflict between the coal miners
> and ecologists in the US. Here in Canada, there has
> been a major conflict between loggers and ecologists,
> particularly in BC where the forest industry is the
> key to the provincial economy.
> This has led to major problems for the NDP both
> electorally and in policy making. The NDP relies
> on the unions for both financial and electoral support
> but also on ecologist for support and election
> workers. The forest industry keeps yelling, if
> you protect old growth forests and oppose clear
> cutting you (the loggers) will lose your jobs. So
> vote Liberal (the right-wing party currently> so
> you can keep your jobs. (or federally, vote for
> the unltra right Reform (sic) Party). As a result,
> the NDP government which has done more for the
> ecology (increased parks, introduced more forest
> restrictions, etc.) than any other jurisdiction in
> Canada, is teetering on the electoral edge, while
> still being roundly condemned by the environmentalist
> who would prefera right-wing ecological collapse to
> gradual improvement in forest practice.
> It is all very discouraging for us Red-Greens.
>
> Paul Phillips
> Economics,
> University of Manitoba
>
