But, on the other hand…

The chess match of words between Gary Coons and Kevin Falcon continued in the pages of the Daily News on Tuesday. Last week the Transportation Minister suggested that the MLA for the North Coast was a speak first and think later kind of guy, taking issue with Coons interpretation of the woes at B. C. Ferries.

With his comments printed in the Friday paper, and a long weekend as a buffer, it took until the Tuesday edition of the Daily News before Coons could receive his equal time to the debate. To keep the issue percolating quite nicely, Coons opined that the problems at B. C. Ferries are very much the responsibility of Minister Falcon.

The latest blast in the oratorical Battle of the Seas is found on the front page of Tuesday’s Daily News.

FERRY PROBLEMS LIE AT FEET OF MINISTER, CLAIMS COONS
North Coast MLA says Kevin Falcon must assure ferry users they are safe
By Leanne Ritchie
The Daily News
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Pages one and three

North Coast MLA Gary Coons says the province’s Minister of Transportation, Kevin Falcon, needs to reassure the public that problems that currently exist with ferries are being adequately managed.

Responding to Falcon’s comments last week that Coons was doing a disservice to his riding by continuing to allege that B. C. Ferries are unsafe, Coons said Falcon need to stop “burying his head in the sand.”

“I find it interesting that the minister responsible for our marine highway continues to blame someone else for his inability to manage something as vital as our ferry system,” said Coons.

“I will continue to question the minister’s inability of handling this file. The public is concerned – so should be Minister Falcon.”

Coons added that Falcon’s allegations that Coons is damaging the system by questioning its safety are unfounded.

“I have been the key advocate for our ferry system as Falcon continues to wash his hands of his responsibilities,” said Coons.

“The minister conveniently has amnesia as he forgets that it was the opposition that questioned him about why the Northern Strategy – the plan for three new ferries and other initiatives – was sitting on his desk collecting dust for over eight months.”

He said inaction by the minister was even chastised by B. C. Ferries as they requested that Coons put pressure on Falcon to immediately act on the recommendations as it was vital to the future of the Northern routes.

“He, said his government, are now being pressured by ferry-dependent communities to have his privatization ‘charade’ revamped so that there is someone looking after the public interest,” said Coons.

“I will reiterate, as I have said in the past, we have the best ferry service in the world, a fully integrated marine highway renown for its reliability, safety and affordability. It seems we must fight to maintain it.”

Meanwhile, reports by Canwest News Service say a B. C. Ferries lawyer and cameraman were among the first people B. C. Ferries sent to the scene following the sinking of the Queen of the North, March 22 of last year. Both left well before the company’s safety director who was in charge of investigating the accident. As B. C. Ferries scrambled for more than 18 confused hours to determine how many people had survived the sinking, legal and public relations concerns were a priority, it’s records show.

Hours after President David Hahn assured reporters that only 99 people were aboard the ill-fated ferry and all were safe, officials were in fact still puzzling over two passengers unaccounted for, the log shows. Of the 101 people actually on board, 99 were rescued. Two are still missing and presumed drowned. While RCMP and the Transportation Safety Board continue their reviews, B. C. Ferries CEO David Hahn said the independent review of the company’s safety practices by Former Auditor General GeorgeMorfitt will be released by the end of December.

“It is unfortunate that some parties continue to attempt to discredit B. C. Ferries’s safety management practices without all the facts,” said Hahn. “We operate a very comprehensive safety management system that is administered by our professional and well-trained employees. When you operate in excess of 182,000 sailings a year, there are going to be safety matters that need to be addressed. That is why we closely monitor, track and take corrective action via our SMS Operations Safety Log. It is part of our due diligence to ensure safety comes first in all of our operations.”