News Release

BC Rail and ICBC

Prince George, B.C.: As expected, the Federal Government’s competition bureau rubber stamped a sale where one railroad bought the only other railroad competition, in the vast and resource rich area of British Columbia's North.

One would wonder why the BC Liberal government insisted on creating this monopoly when the CPR, as claimed, offered "a couple of hundred million more" for this railroad than the accepted CN bid, and wouldn’t have created a monopoly, but would have kept a healthy competition with in the free enterprise system.

One would also wonder why the "federal competition board exists" with decisions such as this.

On a different note that is much the same, after three years of a complete and successful turn around with in the government owned Insurance company, ICBC, the government has now fired Nick Geer, the CEO responsible….. for being successful.

Strange……

It appears that the government of the day, the BC Liberals, are not interested in any government entity, regardless of it’s success in business and profits, filling an essential service, or the people’s desire to have public ownership and control for such essential services.

By now it is obvious that the BC Liberals Guru and keeper is big business, and these gift wrapped packages to big businesses, of essential service monopolies are part of their agenda, regardless of what they campaign at election time.

This government has no room to complain about the NDP’s relationship and special favors to the labor and Union supporters as they have made parallel of special favor to their own financial supporters, big business.

As in either case, the public in general loses big time, and it isn’t right.

Erle Martz
Prince George
Vice President, Reform BC
Phone: 250 962 0147 / Fax: 250 962 4977