By Chad Klassen

FEDERAL ELECTION 2019

2019 Federal Election Issues: Jobs and the Economy

Oct 16, 2019 | 5:07 PM

KAMLOOPS — It’s been a tumultuous summer in the Southern Interior. Many full-time forestry jobs have been lost close to home. Curtailments and mill shutdowns have put hundreds of people out of work.

Here’s what candidates in the Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo riding say their parties will do for jobs and the economy.

CONSERVATIVE

Conservative candidate and incumbent MP in Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo Cathy McLeod feels one of the missing pieces is a softwood lumber agreement. McLeod feels the Liberals ignored getting a deal done over the last four years. She says her party will make that a top priority if elected.

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“Three years ago, Prime Minister [Justin] Trudeau and President [Barack] Obama said they were going to solve the softwood lumber agreement and it’s completely off the radar,” said McLeod. “When Mr. Trudeau came to town, he didn’t even mention the crisis in the forest industry. They’re talking almost 6,000 jobs now, and to come to B.C., to Kamloops, and not mention it is appalling.”

McLeod adds the Trans Mountain pipeline will be a big boost to those who are without work in the forest sector.

LIBERALS

As the governing party, the Liberals have reiterated its accomplishment of creating a million jobs during its four-year term.

Local candidate Terry Lake says in this riding, reforestation would create jobs by planting two billion trees over the next decade. Lake adds the Trans Mountain pipeline, bought by the Trudeau government for $4.5 billion last year, will be massive for job-creation.

“We know that the Trans Mountain pipeline project is hugely important to particularly the Thompson Valleys and Kamloops,” he said. “It will have a knock-on effect, of course. The ripple effect from a huge project like that is really significant. When people in Clearwater and Barriere are suffering from the downturn in the forest industry, that project is critical. It’s critical to First Nations in our community, too.”

GREEN PARTY

The Green Party opposes the pipeline and vows to cancel it immediately. Local candidate Iain Currie says in order for their climate plan to work and transition away from fossil fuels, there will be investment in green energy and retrofitting homes, all moves he says will create millions of jobs.

“Unions in the construction trade, not attached to the Green Party or completely non-partisan, have estimated that 3.3 million jobs in the construction trade will be created in Canada by 2050. That’s direct jobs in the trade,” said Currie.

NDP

The NDP says 300,000 jobs would be created through retrofitting homes with green energy. Local candidate Cynthia Egli also believes there are alternative ways to create jobs outside of energy projects like the Trans Mountain pipeline.

“Yes, the pipeline would bring jobs. How many is a question, and for how long?” asked Egli. “There’s a lot of ways in wind energy, solar energy, all those retrofitting. Who knows? Retrofitting mills.”

Many in the Southern Interior are keeping a close eye on each party’s job plan and can make their voice heard on Monday, Oct. 21.