BC Ferries quickly became an election issue in the first week of the provincial campaign.
The New Democratic Party promised not to proceed with planned fare hikes and to give the company $40 million over the next two years to help cover costs. It also committed to audit the company, including corporate salaries, to find ways to reduce costs and protect services.
The B.C. Liberals have committed to putting one-third of future liquefied natural gas revenues toward eliminating BC Ferries' debt, up to $1 billion, freeing the corporation from annual debt-servicing costs.
BC Ferries' financial situation is worse than most people believed, pointed out Colin Palmer, chair of Powell River Regional District and head of a group of regional district chairs who represent coastal communities.
A new report by Gordon Wilson, a Powell River resident and former provincial politician who at one time was responsible for BC Ferries, documents the corporation's operational and total debt, while pointing out it doesn't include costs for vessel replacement.
"My estimation is that this is a bigger financial fiasco than the Fast Cats," Palmer said.
Wilson's report, which focuses on fiscal fairness for coastal communities, explains why BC Ferries, a government-sanctioned monopoly, should be run with direct government control through the British Colum-bia Trans-portation Finan-cing Authority (BCTFA). Wilson argues BC Ferries should be treated as a tolled portion of the highway, where the cost is shared equitably by all British Columbians. Currently, many ferries running in the B.C. Interior are free of charge.
Wilson's report adds to the argument that the Coastal Ferry Act is flawed, Palmer said. "Now Gordon says it's even more flawed than we ever thought," he added.
Palmer also said Wilson has pointed out government can find the money to deal with the problem through the BCTFA.
"We never knew that before," he said. "We never knew where there was another source of money. We're interested in that and why the government didn't use that vehicle to handle the money."
As well, it's significant that Wilson couldn't find any written documentation about why Interior ferries are free, Palmer said.
"He's trying to destroy this myth," he said. "There's no writing anywhere that says because of the Columbia River Treaty, the Interior ferries are free. He said that's just not the case."
Coastal communities will continue to challenge the government about why the Interior ferries are free, Palmer said.
Meanwhile, Wilson said while the response from the NDP and Liberals wasn't "too encouraging, at least they're talking about it and at least now we have their attention."
As the election campaign continues over the next couple of weeks, Wilson said, the issue will be raised at all-candidates meetings and various election forums in all coastal communities. "People really are fed up with it," he said.
