[LabComm] BC NDP Connection Newsletter

[BC NDP Newswire]

BC NDP Connection Newsletter



<h3>Tragedy shines spotlight on Liberals' disregard for farm workers</h3>
A tragic accident on the Trans-Canada Highway near Abbotsford has shone a spotlight on the Gordon Campbell government's callous disregard for farm workers.

Three people died and several others were seriously injured after a van packed with 17 farm workers rolled.

One of the first actions of the B.C. Liberal government was to do away with a program that routinely inspected vehicles which transport farm workers. The van in the Abbotsford accident had a capacity of 10 people. Media reports suggested that seats in the van - with seatbelts - had been removed and replaced with wooden benches.

"The B.C. Liberals made cuts to programs that were in place to help keep people safe," said NDP Leader Carole James. "It was an ideological decision, with no thought given to the impacts it would have on farm workers."

Under the B.C. Liberal watch, farm workers' rights have been slashed, first in 2001 and again in 2003. Thanks to the Campbell government, they don't have the same overtime or minimum wage provisions.

Most troubling is the fact that the Liberal government has ignored the recommendations of a 2003 report which were specifically targeted at preventing roadside tragedies involving farm workers.

The B.C. Coroners Service and the Workers' Compensation Board made several recommendations after a 2003 crash in which 52-year-old Mohinder Sunar died. In the 2003 incident, a van with a capacity of 15 was carrying 19 farm workers. The report said there was good evidence that the use of a seatbelt may have saved her life.

The report also recommended a reinstatement of roadside spot checks for these types of vehicles.

And James said Solicitor General John Les, the minister responsible for public safety, has consistently refused to take any responsibility for his file. Les told the media that the seatbelt issue is "a matter of debate."

"The Coroners Service, who has some expertise in this area, thinks the debate is over," James said. "They told this government in 2003 that seatbelt use would save lives, but the Campbell government refuses to act.

"It's inexcusable. When will the government finally take action?'

Burnaby - Edmonds MLA Raj Chouhan, a former president of the Canadian Farmworkers' Union, said farm workers have been forgotten by the Campbell government.

"The government has done nothing to help these farm workers," said Chouhan. "Their inaction is shameful."

<h3>Secret Inquiry Act back before Legislature</h3>
One of the more insidious pieces of government legislation has made its return to the Legislature, and New Democrat MLA Leonard Krog says British Columbians should be very worried.

Bill 6, the Public Inquiry Act, was shelved by the B.C. Liberals last spring, but it has made its way back this session.

Krog, the NDP Critic for the Attorney General, said the bill strikes at the heart of the right of British Columbians to know precisely what their government is doing.

"It's a bit Orwellian for this government to create a bill which could actually limit the access to government activities and call it a 'Public' Inquiry Act," said Krog, the MLA for Nanaimo.

"I'm formally proposing they rename it the Secret Inquiry Act," Krog said. "It's still a terrible piece of legislation, but at least with that name, it's honest."

The bill, if passed into law, would see reports from public inquiries be delivered to a minister, rather than to the Legislature. Cabinet, then, would have the ability to withhold part or all of the inquiry's report.

"This from a government which claimed it would be the most open, accountable and transparent in our history," said Krog.

It's clear what's happening, Krog says.

"The Opposition has been calling for a public inquiry into the sale of B.C. Rail because of questions around the sale process and about the new owner's spotty safety record," Krog said.

"The B.C. Liberals want to have the power to decide what happens to the results of such an inquiry. This bill would allow them to keep the report secret.

"British Columbians won't stand for these kinds of shenanigans," Krog said. "They can recognize a shell game when they see one."

<h3>Recent Headlines</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://bcndpcaucus.ca/carole_james/audio/ndp_reaching_out_across_the_spectrum">NDP reaching out across the political spectrum</a></li>

<li><a href="http://bcndpcaucus.ca/news_room/trevena_marks_international_womens_day">Trevena marks International Women's Day</a></li>

<li><a href="http://bcndpcaucus.ca/news_room/ndp_to_introduce_bill_banning_poisonous_antifreeze">NDP to introduce bill banning poisonous antifreeze</a></li>

<li><a href="http://bcndpcaucus.ca/news_room/b_c_liberals_shut_down_debate_on_tilma">B.C. Liberals shut down debate on TILMA</a></li></ul>

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