Ottawa, ON – Pierre Paul-Hus, Conservative Quebec Lieutenant, and Richard Martel, Conservative Shadow Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, have issued the following statement opposing the out-of-touch threats by Justin Trudeau and his Environment Minister, Steven Guilbeault, to block the harvesting of several thousand square kilometres of Quebec forests to protect woodland caribou:   

“The forestry industry is a cornerstone of the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region. It provides thousands of workers with meaningful paycheques that allow them to put food on the table. The Minister’s proposed order is a direct attack on these paycheques, putting approximately 1,600 direct and indirect jobs in the sector at risk.  

“This comes at a time when workers are struggling more than ever to make ends meet. Amid rising grocery and gas prices, a doubling in housing costs, and record food bank usage across the country, Trudeau is now telling workers in the region that they may soon be out of a job.    

“The federal government should end its Ottawa-knows-best approach, respect provincial jurisdiction, and let the Government of Quebec make decisions affecting the jobs and livelihoods of Quebecers.  “Common Sense Conservatives understand that it’s possible to protect the environment while also protecting jobs. A Common Sense Conservative government will work with the Quebec government and the businesses in Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean to ensure that Quebecers can bring home powerful paycheques. It’s common sense.”