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.
鈥淭here is no doubt about it,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 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,鈥� he said. 鈥淏usinesses are going to choose to invest elsewhere if they can鈥檛 get their product in or out of their businesses based on the island.鈥�
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 鈥渋ncredible tension right now鈥� to deliver the service, but questioned its spending priorities.
鈥淭hey can hire vice-presidents, they can hire people within the administration, that鈥檚 not going to put working in the engine room or people working in the wheelhouse,鈥� he said. 鈥淐learly, what is needed here, BC Ferries needs to be competitive with the marketplace.鈥�
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. 鈥淚t鈥檚 one of those untapped areas,鈥� Olsen said.
United BC Leader Kevin Falcon echoed Olsen鈥檚 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 鈥渨eak little puny鈥� fines for missing sailings starting next fiscal year will not make a difference.
鈥淭hey (vice-presidents) should be getting a daily fine of $7,000,鈥� Falcon said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 how you focus attention.鈥�
Falcon said the current troubles of BC Ferries go 鈥渄irectly back to when they (NDP) decided to politicize the ferry corporation by installing the architect of the fast ferries disaster.鈥�
Falcon was referring to Joy MacPhail, who was appointed as chair of BC Ferries鈥� 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 鈥渇ailed project.鈥�
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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 Wednesday鈥檚 cancellations, Fleming said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just not good enough.鈥�
Fleming also acknowledged the potential economic impacts of service disruptions, adding that he is worried about the reputation of BC Ferries.
鈥淵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,鈥� 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.
鈥淥n the subject of executive compensation, I heard (Falcon) talk about that,鈥� Fleming said. 鈥淚t was under his watch when he was the transportation minister that the CEO of BC Ferries got paid $1 million a year, 鈥� Fleming said.
Wednesday鈥檚 cancellations also came up during Question Period.
鈥淣o amount of NDP spin is going to take away from the fact that you鈥檙e spending record amounts of money and getting record low results for the travelling public,鈥� 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.
鈥淚鈥檝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,鈥� Eby said.
He also questioned Falcon鈥檚 opposition to help BC Ferries with $500 million for fuel. 鈥淚f that member thinks that people in ferry-dependent communities think he鈥檚 on their side, he鈥檚 got another thing coming,鈥� Eby said.
wolfgang.depner@blackpress.ca
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