Back on the campaign trail for the first time after the leader’s debate, BC Conservatives Leader John Rustad announced the party’s promise to “fix BC Ferries” Thursday.
Speaking at Seaspan’s North Vancouver shipyard, Rustad detailed the plan with a focus on accountability and modernizing the company’s fleet with British Columbian labour.
“BC Ferries is the largest ferry service in North America. It’s amazing work that is done across this province, but it has issues,” said Rustad.
He says BC Ferries’ leadership should be more accountable to the people it serves. In a release, the party says, if elected, it will establish a charter to define the performance and service expectations for the Ferry Authority and tie executive compensation to performance.
1130 NewsRadio has reached out to BC Ferries for comment about its governance and performance reporting.
In a statement issued in late September, Seaspan announced that it had decided against making a bid for construction rights to BC Ferries’ five new major vessels.
It said Canadian shipyards and their supply chain can’t compete with other countries with lower wages, and lower safety and environmental standards.
“As BC Ferries has outlined in their press release, cost is a primary issue, and therefore, no bidder will be incentivized to include significant Canadian/BC domestic content in their bids,” the company said.
BC Ferries’ executive director of communications, Jeff Groot, says it’s “premature to speculate about where the vessels will be built.”
In a statement to 1130 NewsRadio in September, Groot said BC Ferries is still open to all prequalified shipyards, including “local, national, and international representation.”
“BC Ferries remains committed to supporting the local economy, contributing $15 million annually to local shipyards like Seaspan and allocating $60 million per year for fleet maintenance in BC,” said Groot Thursday.
Rustad says the BC NDP government has failed to “look at local opportunities to be able to service and be able to build ships here in British Columbia.”
The Conservatives’ plan includes a promise to “focus on considering domestic content scenarios to ensure British Columbians benefit from shipbuilding and related industries.”
The plan also includes securing federal support for exploring new technologies to improve the fleet, including “electric ferries.”
In May, the Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB) announced it is lending $75 million to BC Ferries to help buy four zero-emission vessels and install electric charging infrastructure.
After closing the contract, the CIB says terminal upgrades are to be completed by 2027 and the battery electric ferries will be used on small-volume and shorter routes.
Finally, Rustad promised to reduce wait times for critical routes by developing a monthly flat-fee program for those who use ferries regularly.
“The people who rely on BC Ferries the most are being punished with high costs and unreliable service,” Rustad said. “Our plan will bring relief to commuters and frequent users.”
—With files from The Canadian Press