News Release - July 23, 2008

VICTORIA - The Premier has had one week to mull over a scathing report from the Auditor General into the Campbell government's decision to release lands from Tree Farm Licences around Jordan River and it's time for him to step in and suspend the deletion, New Democrat MLA John Horgan said today.  "It's been a week, and the Premier's had plenty of time to reflect on his forest minister's shoddy treatment of the community.  It's time for Gordon Campbell to prove to people on Southern Vancouver Island that he actually gets it and suspend the decision to release these TFL lands until the public interest is protected," said Horgan, the MLA for Malahat - Juan de Fuca.

The highly critical Auditor General's report found that the decision to allow forest lands on the west coast of Vancouver Island to be sold off for real estate development was not in the public interest and was done without proper consultation.

"The decision to remove these lands from the forest base was flawed from the start and the public needs to know that Gordon Campbell actually gets that.  It is time for the Premier to acknowledge that a mistake was made and fix the problem the B.C. Liberals created," said Horgan.

"Local governments, community groups, and First Nations want to be part of the solution.  The public has been shut out for too long, and the Campbell government needs to work with everyone involved to make sure that we fix this mess."

Horgan noted that the Auditor General's report makes it clear that the Campbell government chose to put the interests of one of their corporate backers ahead of the community.

"Western Forest Products is set to rake in hundreds of millions of dollars from turning these working forest lands into prime real estate, but British Columbians are getting nothing in return," said Horgan.

Minister of Forests Pat Bell's reaction to the report was unprecedented in its attack on an independent officer of the legislature.

"If the Minister of Forests isn't willing to put personal attacks aside, apologize, and get to work solving this mess, then the Premier should step in and ensure that justice is done," said Horgan.

Carole James and the NDP have been calling for specific actions in light of the Auditor General's report, including full public consultation into the pending release of forest lands in the Kootenays and Okanagan so that the mistakes made on Vancouver Island are not repeated.