Private members bill seeks a change of direction at BC Ferries

North Coast MLA Gary Coons, who is also the NDP Ferries critic has introduced a private members bill that would see a number of key changes to the way that BC Ferries does business up and down the coast of British Columbia.

Coons introduced his bill on Wednesday, called the Fair Ferries Act of 2008, which would see BC Ferries become more accountable, reliable and safe there to provide a service for the people of British Columbia aware of the importance that the corporation has to isolated and ferry dependent communities.

Part of Coons' bill would roll back those controversial raises that the Board of B. C. Ferries are set to receive, providing for a more fair and reasonable form of reimbursement for their efforts and tied in with Legislature approval for any future changes to the pay scale.

It's an ambitious bit of would be legislation no doubt researched during Coons' most recent tour of the coastal communities that use the ferry service as their lifeline. For those cheering him on however, it's a bill that most likely will never see the light of day. Private members bills rarely if ever, find favour with a sitting majority government and we would hazard a guess that this one in particular won't be getting passed around the Liberal cabinet table for a lengthy review and push into law.

Instead, it perhaps will provide a portion of the NDP election campaign platform for May of 2009, a blue print if you will of what BC Ferries might look like under an NDP government, if the voters were to decide that two terms of the Gordon Campbell Liberals were more than enough.

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In the press release that came out following the introduction of the bill, the MLA suggested that his bill "makes it easy" for the Liberal government to do something about skyrocketing ferry fares and outrageous corporate rewards, "All the Campbell government has to do is support the bill"

It's doubtful that the Premier and his party will be inclined to take the advice.

It's highly unlikely that any changes will come to the corporate structure at BC Ferries in the next year, or that many of the NDP suggestions will become part of the policy manual in the current atmosphere in Victoria.

But with a year to go towards election day, it will serve as definitive policy choice for the voters to consider when they go to the polls in May of 2009. If the public is truly concerned about the state of the ferries and the attitude in Victoria towards the service, then in 365 days Mr. Coons private members bill may actually find that its up for debate, with the deciding vote made by the electorate.

The Daily News provided some background on the Coons' initiative in Wednesday's paper.

Coons is looking to make B.C. Ferries more 'fair'
By Kris Schumacher
The Daily News
Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Page one

North Coast MLA and NDP Ferry Critic Gary Coons was planning to introduce a Private Members Bill today that he believes will increase the accountability of BC Ferries Services Inc. to both the government and the public.

"It gives me great pleasure today to be introducing a piece of legislation, the Fair Ferries Act 2008," said Coons.

"This Act amends the Coastal Ferry Act to provide ferry-dependent communities with some hope in their struggle for a safe, reliable, accountable and affordable ferry system."

The Act would require that the public interest be taken into account when rates charged on designated routes are set, taking into consideration ridership, public good, and available access by ferry-dependent communities.

It also rolls back the salaries of directors to what he says is a more fair and reasonable compensation, and requires legislative approval of subsequent salary increases. Coons explained that the Act would also bring BC Ferry Services Inc. under the authority of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and the Ombudsman Act, and require it to report annually to the minister responsible.

"With this act, B.C. recognizes that ferries should not only serve the public interest, but should be accountable to both the government and the public," said Coons. "As ferry fares head skyward with triple-digit increases and ferry-traffic declines run counter to projections, lost revenues that must be made up mean even greater fare increases in the long run. I believe The Fair Ferries Act will help mitigate the serious situation facing users of 22 ferries routes to coastal communities in B.C."

Under the Fair Ferries Act 2008, the salary of directors would be set at $30,000 per year, and the salary of the chair set at $105,000 per year, with any changes to those numbers needing the approval of the Legislative Assembly.