B.C. Federation of Labour president Jim Sinclair launched a blistering assault on the B.C. Liberal government Friday, telling an assembly of northern labour leaders the region is not getting its share of wealth produced here.
He argued against a B.C. Liberal tax-cutting policy that he says has not created jobs, slammed raw log exports, said services are being withdrawn from outlying regions, called for more apprenticeships and said the minimum wage needed to go higher to deliver a livable wage.
The Liberals, under new leader Christy Clark, implemented a higher minimum wage, something former-premier Gordon Campbell had declined to do.
Sinclair's message was delivered to about 75 union leaders on the first day of a two-day forum called Building a Brighter Future for B.C. Resource Communities.
NDP leader Adrian Dix is scheduled to speak at the forum at 1 p.m. today at the Coast Inn of the North.
"I think there's a lot at stake in the province. It's clear the Liberal government got rid of Campbell because they knew they were a done party. They put Christy Clark in there to convince us they're different," said Sinclair in an interview following his speech.
He noted there is likely an election coming up. Many observers expect Clark to call one this fall.
"I think all British Columbians have to look hard at what their choices are. Do we want to keep doing the same, or not?" stated Sinclair.
The labour leader, who represents about 450,000 unionized workers in B.C., also took a big swipe at the harmonized sales tax.
He argued that tax revenue to the province from the provincial sales tax system would provide $6.2 billion, of which about one third would come from business. Under the HST, less revenue would be collected, all of that coming from consumers, said Sinclair.
That scenario is bad for the province, as business is not paying its share and the province collects less for services.
He said the calculation takes into account additional taxes to be collected from increases in corporate taxes, which he dismissed as a temporary move.
Unions are helping distribute anti-HST signs, about 900 of which have been recently delivered to north-central B.C. communities.
Prince George-Mackenzie MLA Pat Bell defended the Liberal's record in northern B.C., pointing to the cancer centre under construction, highway infrastructure projects and funding of the Northern Development Initiative Trust, which provides economic development money in the region.
Bell said it is ridiculous to claim the Liberals are no different under new leader Clark when she brought in a higher minimum wage, something Sinclair had been calling for for years.
Bell said he believes Sinclair's us-against-them stance is not constructive for the province.
"He's a quasi-political hack working for the opposition trying to help get the NDP elected. And that doesn't help labour or the union movement in northern British Columbia,"
Bell noted that he has worked well with several unions in northern B.C., including the United Steelworkers and the Communication, Energy and Paperworkers.
Prince George mayor Dan Rogers delivered the opening address at the forum, saying that public sector workers are not overpaid, a claim made by some business groups.
He also applauded the B.C. Federation's work on ensuring there are safe work places.
