Skip to main content

“I am a Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, or free to choose those who shall govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind.” ~~ John G. Diefenbaker

BC Conservatives demand that BC Ferries reinstate community advisory committees


“BC Ferries is playing Grinch this Christmas, firing coastal community volunteers.”  – Harman Bhangu MLA, Langley-Abbotsford - Official Opposition Transportation critic

 

December 4, 2024, Vancouver, BC – British Columbia’s official opposition is demanding that BC Ferries Corporation reinstate the 13 volunteer coastal citizen advisory committees that it fired last week over a conference call.

“BC Ferries is playing Grinch this Christmas – firing 13 volunteer panels with 30 years of service,” said Harman Bhangu, MLA for Langley-Abbotsford and BC Conservative Transportation critic.

In a letter to BC Ferries board chair Joy MacPhail and CEO Nicholas Jimenez, Bhangu demanded that they meet with MLAs representing the coastal communities silenced and ignored by the corporation’s high-handed move.


"I ask you to meet with us to outline your plan for the immediate reinstatement of these volunteers,” Bhangu wrote “as well as your plan to involve coastal communities more robustly in discussions relating to changes forthcoming to the services BC Ferries provides them.”

“To fire the volunteers tasked with providing you feedback and information from coastal communities, while scaremongering about 30 per cent fare increases, is a slap in the face to the people on the coast who depend on you,” Bhangu wrote.

“Jeremy Valeriote and Rob Botterell and the Greens have been asleep at the switch on this issue,” said Anna Kindy, MLA for North Island. “From Bowen to Salt Spring to Saanich, the silence is deafening. Maybe their unelected leader is afraid of offending the unelected board chair of BC Ferries.”

Brennan Day, MLA for Courtenay-Comox called attention to the silence of NDP MLAs on the issue. He called on them to stand up for coastal communities.

“We have heard nothing from Dana Lajeunesse, Debra Toporowski, Josie Osborne, Sheila Malcolmson, Randene Neill, or Tamara Davidson,” said Day. “These so-called representatives are taking their marching orders from Joy MacPhail in the corner office in Victoria.”

“If you live on an island community or a coastal community, in Chemanius, on Penelakut, on Thetis, on Denman or Hornby, on Gabriola, Gambier, Keats, or Texada, in Prince Rupert, Lemtu, Bella Coola, Ocean Falls, or on Haida Gwaii, the only MLAs who will stand up to BC Ferries and fight for you are the BC Conservative MLAs.”

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Conservative Economic Team Responds to Urgent Industry Concerns

 " For far too long, the BC NDP has ignored the economic challenges facing British Columbians. Manufacturing jobs are vanishing, forestry is in decline, and private sector employment growth has stagnated. Meanwhile, affordability has worsened for both families and businesses. British Columbians deserve better, and we’re here to deliver real solutions to rebuild our economy and create jobs that support everyday working people and their families ." – Gavin Dew, MLA and Shadow Minister for Jobs, Economy, Development, and Innovation.   December 3, 2024, Vancouver, BC – The Conservative economic team met today with business leaders and stakeholders to tackle critical issues impacting British Columbia’s economy. Attended by 9 critics from the Conservative Caucus, this meeting was convened by MLA Gavin Dew – Shadow Minister for Jobs, Economic Development, and Innovation - as a direct response to an October 30th open letter from seven of the province’s largest industry associations. ...
Post a Comment
Read more

WARD STAMER -- We need certainly in our markets, and certainly in our fibre supply, before we no longer have a forest industry in this province

Image Government of BC I think we all realize that the threat of Trump’s 25% tariff is like other provocative statements he’s made in the past. That said, we should have reason to be concerned. Tariffs don’t benefit anyone. A tariff of that magnitude – included on our own softwood lumber exports, will make things more expensive for Americans, and cause friction in the supply chain. If imposed, a twenty-five percent tariff will be equally detrimental to the citizens and economy of the United States, as well as the people of BC. There are two things, however, of equal concern to the threat of punitive tariffs by incoming U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. One is our antiquated stumpage fees. It is a legacy from decades ago, and one incapable of responding to changing market conditions. We need to revamp our stumpage system to better reflect market conditions, and our economic costs. Instead, a value-added tax system will be instantly responsive to current market conditions and will encou...
Post a Comment
Read more

FORSETH: Are the homeless less deserving than a single mom, or any low-income individual? No, or course not.

A story by Levi Landry , just the other day in InfoNews, stated: A former Kamloops RV dealership on the North Shore is poised to spend the next two years as a homeless shelter ...  ... BC Housing plans to open the 44-bed shelter in late-December. With a total $6.1 million budget, that's $138,636 per bed for 20 months. Okay, at first glance ensuring the homeless have somewhere safe, and providing for their needs, seems like a good idea.  NOT, however, when you start crunching the numbers! To start with, the proposal is for 20 months, not 2 years, although there is an option to extend it. Let’s stick with the 20 months though because that is what’s been agreed to. Averaging the total $6.1 million budget over that 20-month time frame works out to $305,000/month. That’s a monthly cost of $6,931.82 for each of the 44 people who will be housed and cared for. Compare that to BC's average monthly mortgage payment -- for an entire house -- of $2,913. Compare that to the rent for a 2-b...
1 comment
Read more

Labels

Show more