The Truck Loggers Association (TLA) congratulates Justin Trudeau and the Liberal Party on their victory in last night’s federal election. As a strong and unifying voice for BC’s coastal forest communities, the TLA wants to ensure the prime minister-designate understands that forestry is the economic backbone of many rural Canadian communities.
“We know there is much to become familiar with in the coming weeks,” said David Elstone, TLA Executive Director. “However, we believe it’s important to draw the prime minister-designate’s attention to improving business certainty for our capital intensive sector.”
To that end, the TLA encourages the new government to move forward on the Trans-Pacific Partnership that will benefit the forest industry by reducing tariffs and fostering market diversification—access to international markets sustains local jobs. However, that’s not the only international trade issue facing forestry. “To echo Premier Christy Clark, we need to make a new softwood lumber agreement with the U.S. an immediate priority,” said Elstone. “Such a resolution would provide certainty which is necessary for prosperous forest related businesses.”
Just as critical is the federal government’s support for collaborative government-to-government relationship building between First Nations and the provinces as both seek to understand and address Aboriginal rights and title. “TLA member companies will continue to build on their successful history of working with First Nations and supporting collaborative relationships. We need the federal government to be part of the equation,” Elstone states.
And finally, our forest industry—including the independent timber harvesting contractors the TLA represents—is looking to the new Liberal government for assistance in tackling the challenge of attracting a new generation of workers to our green, sustainable and renewable industry.