JOHN Rustad, Official Opposition Critic for Forests, Lands and Natural Resources on Friday slammed the creation of the new Ministry of Land, Water, and Resource Stewardship, saying in a statement that “at a time when communities, loggers, contractors, employers, workers and First Nations are all looking for stability, [Premier] John Horgan and the NDP have decided that adding uncertainty and more bureaucracy is the way to go.”

Rustad added: “The province’s unilateral decision to declare some areas off-limits to logging is already causing far-reaching damage. Coupled with the NDP’s policy decisions that make British Columbia the highest-cost jurisdiction in North America, we are seeing investment flee the province at an alarming rate. We’ve already lost 10,000 forestry jobs under Horgan’s NDP and estimates are another 18,000 could be lost. The NDP’s decision to increase the size of government is not going to turn that tide but will instead accelerate it, and force more workers into early retirement.”

He said: “British Columbians want a government that works for them, supports them as they try and provide for their families. John Horgan and the NDP are failing that test with these changes that simply create more instability.”