REFORM ASKS FOR NEW THINKING ON BC FERRIES

Prince George, BC: By promising to return the ferries to their original state, the NDP Leader Carole James is obviously looking at turning everything back to the way it was when they were government, regardless of cost. Simply shredding contracts was not right when the Liberals did it, and it won't be right if the NDP does it.

This is a brand new situation and it has to be dealt with in a brand new way. There is more than one option and many different ways to tinker with the existing system that would prove far less costly, fine tune it accordingly, and design it as something better down the road.

Existing ferry privatization needs to have guidelines for the good of the province, and local employment must be part of the criteria and overall formula. Giving our home shipbuilding industry a free hand with a "sky is the limit" budget in the form of a monopoly is not the answer; nor is excluding them entirely from the process. Giving the existing ferry operators a total monopoly and free hand to do whatever makes them the most money doesn't fit this scenario either.

Current ferry design is decades old and still working. With no open sea, the new ferries design could have been structured so that the units could be built at home, giving local shipyards the ability to bid and compete.

Each ferry could be a separate contract for local bids. The employment of local people in replacement, repairs, and daily operations should be part of the final decision as to who gets awarded these contracts. Common sense must prevail here.

Erle Martz
Vice President
(250)962-0147

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