ELECTION: Conservatives promise northern infrastructure fund A4 Wednesday, April 17, 2013 Check out the insert in today’s Free Press and find out who were the big winners at last night’s Women of the North awards ceremony.
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www.pgfreepress.ca ■ ELECTION 2013
Liberals release platform
Dix releases forestry plan Writ dropped, election campaign now officially underway
BY TOM FLETCHER
DELYNDA PILON
Black Press
newsroom@pgfreepress.com
The NDP have a five-step plan to manage the province’s forestry portfolio, revealed in Prince George Monday as the latest plank in the party’s platform. “I don’t think in recent memory a political party has given so much focus to forestry,” Dix said. He added their plan has five elements, beginning with a commitment to skills training, an issue he has been hearing about in all corners of the province. He said though youth have shown reluctance to pursue forestry jobs because of the problems within the industry over a number of years, NDP is prepared to train a whole new generation of people. He added the NDP will commit to forest health, first by restoring the forest inventory. “We didn’t have the basic information about the land when makDe Ly nd a PILON/ Fre e Pre s s ing crucial decisions about land Provincial NDP leader Adrian Dix visited Prince George Monday to reveal the party’s five-point plan to use,” Dix said. manage forestry if the NDP are successful in the May 14 election. He also promised to rebuild the Lastly he said they would rein- said. eral’s information seems largely research capacity of the Ministry of He said the initiatives will devoid of fact, citing deficit budForests, particularly as important state the jobs protection commisdecisions come to the fore in the sioner, a position put in place to help be paid through the fiscal plan gets, increased debt and what he announced by the NDP last week, described as a failed Jobs Plan that wake of the mountain pine beetle communities through job losses. “They will protect communities including taxing big business, a resulted in a loss of 34,800 jobs in epidemic. Dix said they will continue to when difficult decisions have to be bank tax and taxing those who the province. earn over $150,000 per year. “There is a gulf between what build markets, led by industry, add- made,” he said. Decisions made because of a “Ninety per cent of British they say and what they do,” Dix ing they did a good job with China, where they were aided in their change in the annual allowable Columbians will see no change,” said. cut could affect jobs, so ensuring he said. In contrast, Dix said, the NDP efforts by the government. The five-year plan will cost about are consistent with their message, a He committed to joining with a healthy forest is paramount. industry for a trip to Asia within Dix said because of that tied in $30 million the first year and $100 long-term plan with clear direction and focus. the first months of taking govern- with this section is a promise to million per year by the fifth year. more than double the number When asked what he would say “Our approach is serious and ment, if elected. Ensuring B.C. logs go principally of seedlings to be planted in the to residents of the province who methodical,” Dix said adding both are being encouraged by Liberals it and voters will have the chance for B.C. jobs will become another next five years. “This will ensure the next gen- to think about the economic future in May to choose either the NDP priority. “We got away from this over eration sees our commitment to of the province when they enter or Liberal approach, which he long-term prosperity in B.C.,” he the ballot boxes, Dix said the Lib- described as largely spin. time,” he said.
The B.C. Liberal Party released its election platform Monday, promising to freeze personal income tax rates for five years and return to its plan to eliminate small business income tax. Liberal leader Christy Clark released the platform at a campaign event in Vancouver, challenging NDP leader Adrian Dix to do the same and to participate in a oneon-one debate on the different visions for the province. The B.C. Liberals’ personal tax freeze does not extend to income above $150,000, which was subject to a 2.1 per cent increase in the government’s February budget. That increase was budgeted to last only two years before returning to the current 14.7 per cent rate. The NDP has proposed to raise the rate on income above $150,000 a year to 19 per cent, permanently. The B.C. Liberals had earlier planned to eliminate income tax for small businesses with annual revenues of $500,000 or less. But faced with deficits after the 2008-09 financial crisis and the rejection of the harmonized sales tax, the government decided in 2012 to hold the small business tax rate at 2.5 per cent.
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