Ferry review in 2018

[gordon_as]

Cleaning up after any disaster costs money kids. Get used to it.

[Urban Cowboy]

What good is a review that doesn't look at costs/revenues (fares)???? It is just a dog and pony show that is going to waste $250,000 that be paid, no doubt, to a crony of the NDP.

Dog and pony show for the win, as are all these "studies" that keep getting announced multiple times per week.

[Jflem1983]

Need to apply for one of these jobs doing reviews and studies

[alanjh595]

That would be a very short contract term, they will all be gone with the next election.

[Urban Cowboy]

That would be a very short contract term, they will all be gone with the next election.

That may be, but in the mean time a guy could rake in a fair bit of coin, to do little more than come to the same conclusions the Liberals already did, if current outcomes are any indicator.

Just think you could earn around 250K for simply saying water is wet, and boats float.

[Cactusflower]

What good is a review that doesn't look at costs/revenues (fares)???? It is just a dog and pony show that is going to waste $250,000 that be paid, no doubt, to a crony of the NDP.

Dog and pony show for the win, as are all these "studies" that keep getting announced multiple times per week.

Maybe if the previous government had done a few studies we wouldn't have the horrendous debt load we have today. The cost overruns on each and every project they approved could have been avoided, and the Mt. Polley disaster wouldn't have happened.

[Urban Cowboy]

Uhuh, and maybe if the moon was made of Swiss cheese it would be inhabited by gigantic mice.

[Cactusflower]

Uhuh, and maybe if the moon was made of Swiss cheese it would be inhabited by gigantic mice.

And maybe the BC Liberal supporters are in extreme denial. A review of BC Ferries is long overdue.

[Jflem1983]

Uhuh, and maybe if the moon was made of Swiss cheese it would be inhabited by gigantic mice.

And maybe the BC Liberal supporters are in extreme denial. A review of BC Ferries is long overdue.

Review or scrap the whole thing let it be private

[hobbyguy]

[/quote]CF wrote:

Maybe if the previous government had done a few studies we wouldn't have the horrendous debt load we have today. The cost overruns on each and every project they approved could have been avoided, and the Mt. Polley disaster wouldn't have happened.[/quote]

Maybe if the NDP had not approved Mt. Polley there would have not been a problem there?

Anyway, just to point out that your "study" thingy is waay off base:

http://www.timescolonist.com/opinion/columnists/les-leyne-ferry-review-might-shield-islanders-1.23124443

"Glancing through the playbook of moves governments have made over the years on ferries, this one looks a lot like what the B.C. Liberals ordered up seven years ago.

They asked independent ferry commissioner Gord Macatee to review the legislation under which the system runs. The 2011 report covered the act and much more, as it delved into all facets of the operation and came up with two dozen recommendations. Most of them revolved around the financial-sustainability crisis the system was in."

The Liberals, who renounced their earlier pledge to stop the “political interference” in the ferry system, started meddling with abandon. There was a wrenching series of cutbacks on minor routes that drew sustained outrage from coastal communities. But there was also eventually an $87-million boost to the government’s contribution to the ferry budget.

Combined with cost-cutting and an increase in ridership due to a strong economy, the ferry corporation’s books started to look better. It’s gone two years now with just a two per cent fare hike, on just the major routes."

Oooops! Yup, the BC Liberals DID indeed study and review the ferry system. And they fixed the problems. Ya, the over serviced little islands whined and complained, and ya, maybe some important services cuts were over done. But the basic problem got fixed.

"Trevena started that review on Friday. It’s mildly confusing to have plans locked into place well before a review to look at new plans even starts. What if the reviewer, former deputy minister Blair Redlin, decides the fare policy and the free rides aren’t a good idea?

Here’s a free tip to Redlin: Don’t go there.

They are firm commitments that are made directly to Trevena’s base — Quadra Island and points south and north — so they look to be going ahead regardless."

So here we have a politician, and in Trevena one who is clearly clueless, and one with a clear conflict of interest (she lives on Quadra Island) meddling in a crown corporation for political purposes.

Isn't that EXACTLY what you always accuse the Liberals of doing??? (And I don't dispute that they have done so.)

[Cactusflower]

^^First of all, BC Ferries is not a 'crown corporation', thanks to El Gordo. Secondly, what exactly are you complaining about? How many times do you drive the highways and use the various ferry systems across our great province? Do you expect the residents of Kelowna for example, to pay exclusively for the maintenance of those few congested kilometres of Hwy 97? Do you really want there to be tolls on the Arrow Lakes ferries?

And you conveniently omitted one of the very pertinent paragraphs in Mr. Leyne's column. I'll look it up and copy it in my next comment if you can't find it.

[hobbyguy]

^^ So then what is clueless Claire up to then?

What? Does Claire know about running a company? Zero.

What? Does Claire know about a ferry system operation? Obviously nothing or she wouldn't need a "review".

This is just another case of NDP pretense at being "studious and careful" when clueless Claire has already decided that SHE gets a 15% cut on the ferry fares to her place on Quadra Island.

Just one more case with the NDP and "the dog ate my homework" - but the decision has already been made and comrade clueless will tell the ferry corporation what to do.

IF Claire Trevena had a clue about proper management of anything besides her political image, then she would quietly get involved with, or initiate if need be, a Lean methodology approach to improving BC Ferries. But instead it will be a politburo dictat regime with clueless Claire at the top.

[Cactusflower]

Some men just hate to see women in a position of power. I get that. But tell me, HG, what credentials did Christy Clark have for being Premier of a province? None. What credentials did Mary Polak have for being Environment Minister? None. What credentials did either Suzanne Anton or Shirley Bond have for being Attorney General? None, and none.

And it's not only the women in government who aren't equipped with the right stuff to head up a Ministry. How about Rich Coleman and Mike deJong, who between them were 'Ministers of Everything' in the BC Liberal cabinet during their tenure?

Nope, if you want people with relevant experience running our governments' ministries, you'll have to stop electing politicians and start nominating.......oh, I don't know, doctors or nurses to run as a candidate in your riding so that if they win they can head up the Health Ministry. Perhaps a teacher or professor could be nominated and elected as Education Minister. A lot of politicians are lawyers so I guess any one of them could be Attorney General. Anyway, you really should stop bashing Trevena and start looking for someone in your riding who's an ex-ferry captain or maybe just one of the guys who direct traffic on and off those tubs.

BTW, how much experience did Todd Stone have when he took over the Transportation Ministry?

[hobbyguy]

Some men just hate to see women in a position of power. I get that. But tell me, HG, what credentials did Christy Clark have for being Premier of a province? None. What credentials did Mary Polak have for being Environment Minister? None. What credentials did either Suzanne Anton or Shirley Bond have for being Attorney General? None, and none.

And it's not only the women in government who aren't equipped with the right stuff to head up a Ministry. How about Rich Coleman and Mike deJong, who between them were 'Ministers of Everything' in the BC Liberal cabinet during their tenure?

Nope, if you want people with relevant experience running our governments' ministries, you'll have to stop electing politicians and start nominating.......oh, I don't know, doctors or nurses to run as a candidate in your riding so that if they win they can head up the Health Ministry. Perhaps a teacher or professor could be nominated and elected as Education Minister. A lot of politicians are lawyers so I guess any one of them could be Attorney General. Anyway, you really should stop bashing Trevena and start looking for someone in your riding who's an ex-ferry captain or maybe just one of the guys who direct traffic on and off those tubs.

BTW, how much experience did Todd Stone have when he took over the Transportation Ministry?

Your suggestions are way out of line.

I have expressed confidence in Michelle Mungall because despite being a rookie, she brings some relevant background experience to the job.

Claire Trevena has precisely ZERO relevant experience, including not much experience in being a BC resident. She has a reputation for making inane suggestions and comments. (She was also front and center in the backstabbing of Carole James.)

The ONLY reason clueless Claire is a minister is Horgan following the old dictum, "keep your friends close, and your enemies even closer".

Claire Trevena might be qualified in an another ministry, but definitely NOT in this one, and even less so in the context of a business organization.

[Cactusflower]

Okay, maybe what I said regarding women in power was a tad out of line because I do recall you praising Mungall, and despite the fact that she blew it big time on the energy file, I apologize. Also, I wasn't aware that Trevena was one of the 'baker's dozen'. That is definitely a strike against her. But I think you're wrong about the reason she got that ministry. If I recall, she was the one who represented the North Island and went to bat for the residents of Port Hardy and Bella Coola when Stone closed down that ferry service.

But you haven't been able to refute anything else I stated, such as Rich Coleman, Mike deJong, Christy Clark, and all the other BC Liberal ministers who weren't up to the task of handling their various ministries, and I stand by my comments on that.