Premier Christy Clark wants you to know she含羞草研究社檚 not a tree-hugger.
When she spoke at the Council of Forest Industries conference held last week at the Delta Grand, Clark told the crowd she regularly delights in telling young people touring the legislature that logging simply a necessity in B.C.
Clark makes the point by first asking visitors what they would do if they were premier, and how those things would be paid for.
含羞草研究社淥f course the answer to that is we含羞草研究社檙e going to get that money for your mum and dad,含羞草研究社� she said.
Then she asks, 含羞草研究社淲hat if your mum and dad have less money because the government takes more money from them to put into our tax system? What will they have less money for?含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社淜ids all know the answer to that,含羞草研究社� she said.
There would be less money for hockey equipment and less money for school and less money for trips and all the good things in life.
含羞草研究社淏ut there含羞草研究社檚 always one child, no matter where I含羞草研究社檓 talking to them from across the province含羞草研究社� when I ask them what they含羞草研究社檇 like to do if they could be premier, their wish would be we could stop cutting down trees,含羞草研究社� she said.
There was an audible groan among the foresters gathered.
含羞草研究社淚含羞草研究社檓 glad they say it, because it gives us a chance for education,含羞草研究社� said Clark.
含羞草研究社淚 say if we don含羞草研究社檛 cut down trees in B.C. we have to take more money from your mum and dad and if your mum and dad work in forestry, your mum and dad will have to start taking money from the government含羞草研究社e need kids to understand that the forest industry is not just something that exists in a vacuum. It supports our entire province.含羞草研究社�
Forestry, she said, has put B.C. on the map as one of the most economically and environmentally sustainable spots on the globe.
And without it, B.C. would be in trouble.
There are 140 communities in B.C. that depend on it and 150,000 jobs in direct and indirect contact with the industry.
含羞草研究社淭hese are jobs for people who know they can go home every day and put food on the table for their kids,含羞草研究社� said Clark.
For that reason, Clark said her government will invest more money to promote the use of B.C. wood.
There will be $8 million made available to promote the use of B.C. wood, help advance wood building and to expand global markets for B.C. wood products.
含羞草研究社淪ome of that is going to Canada Wood Group to continue expanding the use of wood in China, Korea and Japan,含羞草研究社� she said.
含羞草研究社淪ome of that will go to COFI to support them in the same markets and, as you probably know, we are investing $5 million in opening door for our wood products in a brand new market, in India.含羞草研究社�
If anyone questioned the move, Clark encouraged them to pan back in their memories to when China was first explored as a trade partner, and the positive results that含羞草研究社檚 yielded.
In India alone, a million new people are joining the workforce every month for the next 15 years.
含羞草研究社淵ou know what happens when people join the work force? They want to build a house. Lets make sure they want to build that house with wood,含羞草研究社� she said.
