Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo MP Cathy McLeod has been named the Conservative Party’s Shadow Minister for Natural Resources (Forestry and Mining).
She says she is stepping into this role as the softwood lumber crisis continues to unfold.
“At least 20 mills have been forced to shut down or curtail production. As a result, more than 4,000 people across 27 communities in B.C. are at this moment, out of work,” she said. “This does not include the thousands of contractors and small businesses that have been affected indirectly.”
McLeod alleges that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has failed to make good on his promise to resolve the dispute as Canada has no softwood lumber agreement with the United States, which has led to ‘devastating tariffs’ for Canadian companies.
“The challenges facing this industry are vast and complicated. The amount of trees available for logging plummeted in the wake of the pine-beetle infestation, which is now heading east through Alberta and Saskatchewan,” McLeod said. “Locally here in the interior of B.C., and northern Ontario as well, have faced devastating forest fires.”
As for mining, McLeod says the sector represents 3.6 per cent of Canada’s total GDP, and employs over 634,000 people.
Earlier this month, McLeod told NL News that she will be grateful for whatever role she is given. She was most recently the Critic to the Minister of Indigenous Affairs, having also served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministers of Health, Labour and Western Economic Diversification, as well as National Revenue.
“I am grateful for the time I have had as the Shadow Minister for Indigenous and Northern Affairs,” McLeod said. “It has been four years of challenges and new experiences, and it was an honour and a privilege to meet so many First Nations leaders from across Canada, including many young people.”
“I know this work will guide me in my new portfolio.”
Several other BC MPs are also in the shadow cabinet, including Central Okanagan-Similkameen-Nicola MP Dan Albas, North Okanagan-Shuswap MP Mel Arnold, Kelowna-Lake Country MP Tracy Gray, Cariboo-Prince George MP Todd Doherty, and Prince George-Peace River-Northern Rockies MP Bob Zimmer.
