BC Green House Leader Adam Olsen says the state of BC Ferries is and will continue to put Vancouver Island at an economic disadvantage in calling for additional investments into the service and the provincial marine industry at large.
B次元官网网址淭here is no doubt about it,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 know if we can put a number on it, but that disruption and that lack of certainty is going to cause, and is causing, problems,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淏usinesses are going to choose to invest elsewhere if they canB次元官网网址檛 get their product in or out of their businesses based on the island.B次元官网网址�
Olsen made these comments Wednesday (Oct. 18) morning after BC Ferries had to cancel two sailings on its route connecting Metro Vancouver and Greater Victoria because of staffing shortages. The cancellations led to long waits for would-be travellers without reservations, impacting personal and professional appointments, including people going to work.
Olsen, whose riding of Saanich North and the Islands includes the Swartz Bay ferry terminal near Victoria as well as several ferry-dependent islands, said BC Ferries finds itself under what he called B次元官网网址渋ncredible tension right nowB次元官网网址� to deliver the service, but questioned its spending priorities.
B次元官网网址淭hey can hire vice-presidents, they can hire people within the administration, thatB次元官网网址檚 not going to put working in the engine room or people working in the wheelhouse,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淐learly, what is needed here, BC Ferries needs to be competitive with the marketplace.B次元官网网址�
Olsen added that it also makes sense for B.C. to have a marine-focused economy, whether it is building large vessels or investing in other aspects. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 one of those untapped areas,B次元官网网址� Olsen said.
United BC Leader Kevin Falcon echoed OlsenB次元官网网址檚 criticisms, questioning the recent hiring of four new vice-presidents. Falcon said all of them are earning between $300,000 to $460,000 and the introduction of B次元官网网址渨eak little punyB次元官网网址� fines for missing sailings starting next fiscal year will not make a difference.
B次元官网网址淭hey (vice-presidents) should be getting a daily fine of $7,000,B次元官网网址� Falcon said. B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 how you focus attention.B次元官网网址�
Falcon said the current troubles of BC Ferries go B次元官网网址渄irectly back to when they (NDP) decided to politicize the ferry corporation by installing the architect of the fast ferries disaster.B次元官网网址�
Falcon was referring to Joy MacPhail, who was appointed as chair of BC FerriesB次元官网网址� Board of Directors. She held several cabinet positions during the late 1990s, early 2000 when the NDP was in power and in charge of BC Ferry Corporation, when the province decided to sell off a trio of fast ferries built in B.C. in the mid-1990s.
While they cost $470 million to build, the government wrote down their value to $40 million each after they essentially proved to unusable. MacPhail, at the time, called the fast ferries a B次元官网网址渇ailed project.B次元官网网址�
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Transportation Minister Rob Fleming acknowledged BC Ferries needs additional staff. While 99.1 per cent of scheduled sailings sailed since September, these figures mean nothing for individuals impacted by WednesdayB次元官网网址檚 cancellations, Fleming said.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 just not good enough.B次元官网网址�
Fleming also acknowledged the potential economic impacts of service disruptions, adding that he is worried about the reputation of BC Ferries.
B次元官网网址淵es, because what we want to avoid is driving up the cost of business or driving up the cost of transporting people and goods to and from Vancouver,B次元官网网址� he said, adding that government is working with BC Ferries to improve reliability.
Fleming also shot back at critics. When asked about the criticism concerning the hiring of vice-presidents, Fleming said the the emphasis is on hiring crews.
B次元官网网址淥n the subject of executive compensation, I heard (Falcon) talk about that,B次元官网网址� Fleming said. B次元官网网址淚t was under his watch when he was the transportation minister that the CEO of BC Ferries got paid $1 million a year, B次元官网网址� Fleming said.
WednesdayB次元官网网址檚 cancellations also came up during Question Period.
B次元官网网址淣o amount of NDP spin is going to take away from the fact that youB次元官网网址檙e spending record amounts of money and getting record low results for the travelling public,B次元官网网址� Falcon said.
Premier David Eby said both he and Fleming agree it unacceptable that people are not able to get to where they are going.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e made very clear to the leadership of B.C. Ferries, the Minister of Transportation has, that we expect them to meet the needs of the people of British Columbia to get around this province,B次元官网网址� Eby said.
He also questioned FalconB次元官网网址檚 opposition to help BC Ferries with $500 million for fuel. B次元官网网址淚f that member thinks that people in ferry-dependent communities think heB次元官网网址檚 on their side, heB次元官网网址檚 got another thing coming,B次元官网网址� Eby said.
wolfgang.depner@blackpress.ca
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