$5,000 opening bid on BC Ferry

[The Green Barbarian]

And if you guys who think it made more money during those months than we spent on the repairs would like to present some figures here, I'd be very appreciative.

what for? You've already demonstrated that you don't understand basic math, so there is no point.

[Dizzy1]

exactly. Which is why the NDP hasn't won an election in over 20 years.

And still hasn't won

[gordon_as]

I don't think that 3 mil is an exorbitant amount for repairs and maintenance on a vessel of that size. I do question whether it truly is no longer "seaworthy". How much would it have cost to refit it with new engines , propulsion , and electronics systems to keep it in the water for another ??? years ? Yes , it also needs modernizing inside. The new Salish class ferries were built in Poland , and were supposed to cost about 66 million each. They run on diesel or LNG which may be why they were favored by BC Ferries. Two Spirit Class superferries are scheduled to be sent to Poland to be retrofitted for LNG as well , at a cost of $70 million each. After the Queen of Burnaby is sold (probably given away) there is no way to ensure that it doesn't end up doing regular service in Fiji , like the Queen of Chilliwack is. The government spent 15 million refurbishing that one , then sold it to a former BC ferries employee for 1.8 million. The Liberal government gave away the fastcats for $20 million , even though they had been offered $70 million. They were resold for a rumoured $340 million. BC has a history of giving away ferries for a fraction of their worth , so who is going to actually offer fair market value ?

[Poindexter]

One of the implications of making BC Ferries a privately run company, is they will make decisions that aren't always politically savvy but reflect better on a balance statement and/or, depending on how they're incentivized, increase executive bonuses.

[The Green Barbarian]

One of the implications of making BC Ferries a privately run company, is they will make decisions that aren't always politically savvy but reflect better on a balance statement and/or, depending on how they're incentivized, increase executive bonuses.

Good point and an excellent argument in favor of it being a private company.

[Cactusflower]

One of the implications of making BC Ferries a privately run company, is they will make decisions that aren't always politically savvy but reflect better on a balance statement and/or, depending on how they're incentivized, increase executive bonuses.

What you don't seem to realize is that the BC government is the sole shareholder of BC Ferries. Don't think for a minute that the BC Liberals weren't pulling BC Ferries strings ever since Campbell semi-privatized it.

[alanjh595]

Who owned it back when the NDP was last elected, some 17 years ago. What did they do with it then?

The Fast Ferry Scandal, also referred to as the Fast Ferries Scandal, "FastCat Fiasco", Fast Ferries Fiasco, was a political affair in the late 1990s relating to the construction of three fast ferries by the Canadian provincial crown corporation BC Ferries under direction of the British Columbia New Democratic Party then headed by premier Glen Clark.

Despite major delays and cost overruns, the ferries never fully met their original specifications, and only operated briefly in a reduced capacity, before being auctioned off at a substantial economic loss.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fast_Ferry_Scandal

[Cactusflower]

Who owned it back when the NDP was last elected, some 17 years ago. What did they do with it then?

The Fast Ferry Scandal, also referred to as the Fast Ferries Scandal, "FastCat Fiasco", Fast Ferries Fiasco, was a political affair in the late 1990s relating to the construction of three fast ferries by the Canadian provincial crown corporation BC Ferries under direction of the British Columbia New Democratic Party then headed by premier Glen Clark.

Despite major delays and cost overruns, the ferries never fully met their original specifications, and only operated briefly in a reduced capacity, before being auctioned off at a substantial economic loss.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fast_Ferry_Scandal

You must have missed the 'gordon_as' post at 11:02a.m. today. Your questions are answered right there.

[alanjh595]

It was a rhetorical question. I provided the evidence that The NDP totally screwed up when they were in charge of BC Ferries.

[The Green Barbarian]

It was a rhetorical question. I provided the evidence that The NDP totally screwed up when they were in charge of BC Ferries.

of course they did. The NDP are boneheads who can't govern. Anywhere.

[alanjh595]

It was a rhetorical question. I provided the evidence that The NDP totally screwed up when they were in charge of BC Ferries.

of course they did. The NDP are boneheads who can't govern. Anywhere.

The NDP couldn't plan a trip to the bathroom without first asking a study group as to how they should respond.

[Cactusflower]

It was a rhetorical question. I provided the evidence that The NDP totally screwed up when they were in charge of BC Ferries.

The 'Fast Ferry Scandal', as you like to call it was actually one of El Gordo's most spiteful creations. I guess you forgot how he sold them for peanuts back to the builder, who re-sold them to a middle east country and made a bundle on them. Then the foggy-brained Campbell turned around and spent millions of our tax dollars on some German-made tubs that are too expensive to put on a regular scheduled run, and when they break down, which is fairly often, parts and labourers must be brought over from Germany to fix them. It remains to be seen how those Polish tubs will fare over here, but if they're anything like Christy's other acquisitions, we'll be making up some new Polish jokes fairly soon.

[gordon_as]

The NDP couldn't plan a trip to the bathroom without first asking a study group as to how they should respond.

No need to plan the trip , The BC Liberals gave all the bathrooms to their friends.

[gordon_as]

Then the foggy-brained Campbell turned around and spent millions of our tax dollars on some German-made tubs that are too expensive to put on a regular scheduled run, and when they break down, which is fairly often, parts and labourers must be brought over from Germany to fix them. It remains to be seen how those Polish tubs will fare over here, but if they're anything like Christy's other acquisitions, we'll be making up some new Polish jokes fairly soon.

But , but , but they can run on LNG. Don't we have tons of that stuff ?

[gordon_as]

Love how the anti NDP crowd pulls out "fast ferries" like it's their silver bullet , while completely ignoring the actual financial facts on the matter.