BC Auditor General Review - Ferries

[Scott]

The government will probably hire some token overseer to make sure they're accountable, or else they'll just point to how successful BC Ferries is and forget about it. Whenever Campbell or Falcon are asked about BC Ferries, they're usually not too interested in talking about it - "it's a private company" they say, and they're can't do anything. The company is getting hundreds of millions of dollars from the tax payer so they should be accountable for that, and we should be able to see how that money is spent.

I wonder if the NDP will bring it back to crown corporation status when they get elected (I'm sure they will someday)? It was in their platform during the last election. I'm not convinced that's the right way to go either.

[Balfour]

Going back to a crown corporation wouldn't be a good idea, but the current system does need change. I think more responsibility should be given to the Ferry Commission such as buying and purchasing of vessels and all the major decisions as well as ownership of the vessels. BC Ferries should simply provide the manpower.

[Scott]

I haven't read through the report, but some of the little things BC Ferries has done to suggest that they're "independant" and don't belong to us anymore that bug me. Symbolic things like getting rid of the dogwood and taking everything local out of the ferry names (with the exception of the Kuper). When they advertised the contest for naming the ferry, they wanted names that reflected their new "independance". I think maybe they should be reminded a bit more that they do work for us, and the ferries are ours. I'm thinking more of management here, not so much the actual ferry workers, who still realize this.