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
