News Release - July 19, 2007
VICTORIA - Media reports that the then minister of state for mining, Bill Bennett, encouraged a Chinese mining company last year to bring in coal miners from China raise serious questions about the Campbell government's environmental, energy and labour policies, according to Opposition MLAs John Horgan and Chuck Puchmayr.
"There is nothing sustainable about importing workers on a temporary basis to work in coal mines," said Energy Critic John Horgan, the MLA for Malahat - Juan de Fuca. "It appears that the Campbell government doesn't believe that local communities in B.C. should benefit from the jobs and investment that come with such developments."
Canadian Dehua International Mines has announced that it plans to establish a coal mine in northeast B.C. and bring in 400 workers from mainland China to staff the operation. A media report quotes Bennett as telling a Chinese company partnered with Dehua that he would like to assist with the Gething Coal Project and help bring in the workers. Bennett has since stepped down as mines minister.
"We need clarification from the new mines minister, Kevin Krueger, whether the Campbell government is working to encourage the federal government to permit outside workers to work on this project," Horgan said.
"While we encourage people from all parts of the world to immigrate to British Columbia, we are concerned about foreign workers temporarily in the province being exploited by their employers," said Puchmayr, the Opposition Labour Critic and MLA for New Westminster. "We saw recently that foreign workers employed building the RAV Line were subject to intimidation when they stood up for wages equal to those paid local workers.
"Workers entering this country should have the same rights and opportunities as Canadian workers, and that includes the right to become citizens," said Puchmayr. "Many candidates for immigration are waiting to enter Canada legitimately and should not be bypassed by a foreign worker who is contracted to a specific job."
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