THE CONSERVATIVE MP FOR CARIBOO-PRINCE GEORGE IS ONCE AGAIN ON THE WARPATH LOBBYING FOR A NEW SOFTWOOD LUMBER AGREEMENT.
TOOD DOHERTY, CO-CHAIR OF THE SOFTWOOD LUMBER TASK FORCE, SAYS AMERICAN RETAIL AND CONSUMER GROUPS ARE NOT HAPPY WITH OTTAWA AFTER FAILING TO NEGOTIATE FROM A POSITION OF STRENGTH.
DOHERTY, SPEAKING TO US FROM PRINCE GEORGE, SAYS IF TARIFFS ARE LEVIED IN MARCH, THE RAMIFICATIONS WILL BE FELT FOR SEVERAL MILLS IN THE AREA…
“We could risk losing two mills South of us, could be up to 400-500 jobs and a quarter of the municipal tax base. These are 400 jobs, let’s say the average family is 2 1/2 to 3 people per family, that is 1200 people that could be displaced.”
AND DOHERTY SAYS A POTENTIAL LOSS OF JOBS COULD ALSO HAVE A RIPPLE EFFECT ON OTHER SECTORS…
“Grocery stores, the car dealership, they are all dependent on one another so if we have another industry that is failing and not doing well we are all going to face it. We are going to lose people, then our numbers in our schools are going to go down so we could face school closures.”
DOHERTY WAS ALSO INTERVIEWED ON THE SUBJECT BY THE BUSINESS NEWS NETWORK EARLIER THIS WEEK.
Something going on in the Cariboo you think people should know about?
Send us a news tip by emailing [email protected].
