Richard Martel Opposes Federal Decree that would destroy 1,400 Jobs In Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean And The Côte-Nord Region

September 24, 2024
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Ottawa, ON – Richard Martel, Member of Parliament for Chicoutimi-Le Fjord, issued the following statement to emphasize that the postponement of Steven Guilbeault’s federal decree on Quebec’s forestry sector provides no assurance that forestry workers will not lose their jobs:

“Let me be clear, the Bloc and the Liberals will end up implementing the federal decree that will kill 1,400 forestry jobs. It’s only a matter of time. What the Bloc calls a gain is really a temporary measure until Christmas. The Common Sense Conservatives are the only ones who will completely cancel the federal decree immediately and permanently.

“It’s also doubtful that the money promised by the Trudeau government will develop our regional economy to levels equal to or greater than the forestry sector.

“I’m worried about our regional workers, especially the older ones, for whom learning a new trade is more difficult. No amount of money will compensate for the jobs lost, the lives shattered and the social crisis we see coming at us at full speed.

“This federal decree would represent a direct drop of 8 percent for the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region, leading to a minimum anticipated drop of 1.4 million cubic metres of wood per year, forcing communities with little diversification in terms of economic activities to be unable to reclassify.

“This federal decree represents a direct drop of 8% in allowable cut for Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean and 12% for the Côte-Nord Region.

“If the Bloc didn’t keep the Liberals in power, the Trudeau government wouldn’t be able to impose this federal decree.”