Skeena – Bulkley Valley MP Nathan Cullen is calling upon the federal government to provide more funding to the province to improve, or at least maintain, service levels aboard BC Ferries.
Speaking in the House of Commons on May 8, Cullen said the current subsidy works out to only $1.04 per passenger riding BC Ferries. He also said that putting the money earmarked for the subsidy into general revenue means it often doesn't go toward the intended use.
That simply isn't acceptable for the ferry service, which Cullen told MPs was "our highway system" on the B.C. coast.
"It is a vital link. To suggest that it does not deserve support would be like saying to people in the Greater Toronto Area that there will be no support for development on Highway 401, or saying to people along the TransCanada, that it is not a vital link anymore. For us, the ferry service is exactly what it is. It is a link between us and the rest of the country," he said.
"On the north coast, the ferry service is essential, yet it is not treated as an essential service by the government. We have seen cutbacks year after year on the north coast routes. We have seen prices continue to climb, while service continues to drop ... the Conservatives pretend to be good at business, but imagine a business that offered less and less service of a lower and lower quality and charged more and more for the product. The business would not last very long, but that is exactly how the Conservatives have treated the ferry service in British Columbia with their partners in Victoria, the so-called Liberal government of Christy Clark."
While mentioning the importance of the system for the economy on Vancouver Island, Cullen said the impact of reduced service is even more severe for people living remote communities connected by BC Ferries' northern routes.
"For the nearly 5,000 people who live on Haida Gwaii, often just getting to a dentist appointment or a medical appointment or having a baby requires them to leave the island and take the ferry across. That can run, for a family of four, up to nearly $1,000 just to get back to the mainland to get basic services, because the downturn in the economy on that island has been so devastating that they have lost many of their essential services," he said.
"The effect on places like Bella Bella, Bella Coola, and some of the smaller coastal communities along the central and north coasts has been even more devastating. These are vital and vibrant communities, yet they require that connection, as any Canadian does, of transportation to get across to talk with and visit people, do business, and be with family and friends."
Given the importance of the service, Cullen said it is time for the Conservative government to put more money into the ferry system.
" The Conservatives say that they are concerned about the economy and that they want to reverse the trend of anemic job growth for 16 months now ... let us start with the practical things, the smart things, such as helping out the ferry service," he said.
"I cannot for the life of me understand why the Conservatives so consistently look to bleed the ferry system across this country, from east to west to north, to the point where people cannot rely on it anymore. It is what helps connect this country. It is what helps keeps us strong."