Article takes comment out of context

Page 11

Dear Editor:

In "Scrap the referendum, B.C. told" the writer's treatment of my comments to the BC Select Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs misquoted and distorted my presentation. I would like to clarify for your readers that the thrust of my remarks was significantly more positive than portrayed in the [November 2001] article.

Consistent with the report that the Council of Forest Industries (COFI) submitted to the Standing Committee, my presentation emphasized that our members welcome and encourage Aboriginal peoples' involvement in commercial forestry in B.C. Your article incorrectly states that I said the industry doesn't feel it should pay for any programs that would increase Aboriginal participation.

As the Hansard record of the hearings shows, what I really said was: "I can say proudly, on behalf of my own colleagues in the forest industry, that our members have spent literally millions of dollars over the past decade or more working directly with Aboriginal communities in many forms, whether it's providing for education, training or business ventures. In fact, COFI co-sponsors a forest technician training program with the Ministry of Forests and FRBC. We have everything in the industry from scholarships to business ventures where companies have invested in equipment to help First Nations become engaged in the industry, and so on.

"Particularly in the economic dire straits our industry finds itself in right now, we simply cannot continue funding those activities, but we do think the members of the forest industry have a great deal to offer Aboriginal people. We would like to assist them to become skilled and able to benefit from the economic resources that we are privileged to have in British Columbia. We would like to see some financial assistance from the government, but particularly from the federal government. With respect to the federal government, they have shown a greater willingness to engage in those activities more recently, and I think we all need to work to encourage that."

As the transcript of the proceedings also confirms, I did not say, "We don't need an Aboriginal labor force." On that topic, I was responding to a question from one of the standing committee members who asked why, given the many examples of industry/First Nation partnerships in the gas and oil industry in Alberta, there don't seem to be more of the same kinds of partnerships in B.C.'s forestry sector. He said in the area he represents he hears companies say: "That's a First Nations area there.We can't go in there." The member asked me "Why don't go and partner up with them and do your development." I responded by describing that there are many forest industry/First Nation partnerships in B.C. and continued as follows:

"The reason there aren't more is probably because of the cost involved. When you talk about a partnership, one of the key elements is that both partners need to bring something to the table in order to form a partnership. That's partly what brings us to the requirement for the federal government to put some money in this pot. Right now, when First Nations attempt to come to a table or a business meeting to discuss a partnership with a forest company, in most cases the Aboriginal participant has nothing to bring.

"What we have been seeing with these so-called partnerships is that forest companies have been paying their portion and paying the Aboriginal community's portion as well. Many times the community members are not trained. They don't have skills or equipment. They don't have capital. They have some people who might be willing be work. They have a potential labor force, but quite frankly, in this industry in the province, we don't really need a labor force. We already have a very highly skilled labor force. Unless or until such time as the Aboriginal communities have something to bring into the partnership, they don't look very attractive."

Unfortunately, taken out of context as they were in th article, some of my comments appear negative toward the Native community and that was definitely not the intent of our presentation to the Standing Committee. Yes, our presentation included references to land access controversies and problems that currently plague B.C.'s forest sector and First Nations. But we raised these points to emphasize the urgency of finding ways to return B.C. to economic prosperity for the benefit of all our citizens.

Marlie Beets

Vice President,

Aboriginal Affairs

Council of Forest Industries