On Friday, the Kamloops Daily News reported that the region is predicted to lose about 1,000 jobs and 15% of its timber to the mountain pine beetle epidemic -- that translates into $93 million lost from the local economy. As climate change lets the bugs chew through our forests at a dizzying rate, Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo M.P. Betty Hinton continues to do absolutely nothing. The article cited local MLA Kevin Krueger as saying that "the federal government [must] come to the forefront of the pine beetle battle and call it a national disaster ... it's one man's decision, and that's the prime minister." Unfortunately, Stephen Harper doesn't live here, nor does he visit often. That's why we have a federal representative -- Betty Hinton. Who, given last week's City Hall debacle, doesn't seem to give a damn.
Cited article by Michele Young
Published January 26, 2007
©Copyright The Daily News in Kamloops
3 comments:
Liberal programs axed under Tory spending cuts
Updated Tue. Sep. 26 2006 11:23 PM ET
CTV.ca News Staff
The federal government's near-record surplus of $13.2 billion didn't save over a dozen programs and initiatives from the Conservative chopping block.
Everything from literacy programs to medical marijuana research are being slashed as part of the Conservative government's plans to cut $1 billion in spending over the next two years.
"Most of those cuts are designed to appeal to the Conservative base," reported CTV's Ottawa bureau chief Robert Fife.
"They have taken the axe to programs they've long regarded as slush funds for left leaning groups who don't vote Conservative."
For example, the Court Challenges Program which funded equality and language-rights groups to challenge federal laws -- an initiative long disdained by Conservatives -- is getting the axe.
Speaking in Toronto on Tuesday, Liberal leadership candidate Stephane Dion said the court program helped francophones outside Quebec and anglophones in Quebec defend their Charter language rights.
The Conservatives must be removed because they don't respect such rights, he said.
A department significantly hit was Canadian Heritage. The department's Status of Women Canada, an agency which promotes gender equality, stands to lose $5 million from its annual $23 million budget.
Some pro-Conservative groups, such as REAL Women Canada, mounted a campaign over the summer to scrap the agency created under the Pierre Trudeau government.
Tory cutbacks
Some of the programs and initiatives being eliminated or reduced to help Harper's government save $1 billion over the next two years -- and the amount of savings for each:
$78.8 million: Elimination of program that gave GST rebates to tourists
$50 million: Elimination of unused funding for Northwest Territories devolution
$46.8 million: Smaller cabinet announced in February
$45 million: "Efficiencies" in Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
$15 million: Elimination of residual funding for softwood-lumber trade litigation
$13.9 million: Cancellation of National Defence High-Frequency Surface Wave Radar Project
$11.7 million: Removal of unused funds for mountain pine beetle initiative
$6.5 million: Elimination of funding for the Centre for Research and Information on Canada
$6 million: Operational efficiencies at the Canada Firearms Centre
$5.6 million: Elimination of Court Challenges Program
$5 million: Administrative reductions to Status of Women Canada
$4.6 million: Cuts to museum assistance
$4.6 million: Elimination of the RCMP drug-impaired-driving program's training budget
$4.25 million: Consolidation of foreign missions
$4.2 million: Cuts to Law Commission of Canada
$4 million: End to medical-marijuana science funding
The Conservatives have made a billion dollars available to diversify the economies of cities and areas hard hit by pine beetle. The Conservatives have also made over a million available for removal of trees from public property.
Dont confuse the removal of trees from private property with those other issues. Its money for private property tree removal that Lake wants. Neither the provincial or federal government want to do that. I feel sorry for the pensioner with one tree in his yard, but why should I pay for the doctor in Rose Hill who wants to cut down 35 pine beetle trees?
hinton must go !
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