The Conservative Party of B.C. will implement a "fully open and competitive procurement processes" and introduce domestic content scenarios when it comes to sourcing vessels as part of a B.C. Ferries overhaul. <\/p>\n
Leader John Rustad floated his party's Ferries platform Thursday in North Vancouver. <\/p>\n
"B.C. Ferries plays a critical role in connecting Vancouver Island and coastal communities to the rest of the province,” Rustad said in a statement. "The NDP’s mismanagement has resulted in aging vessels, unreliable service, and frustrating bottlenecks. Coastal residents are fed up, and it’s time for real leadership to get B.C. Ferries back on track."<\/p>\n
The pledges come after B.C. Ferries last month released five request-for-proposals as part of the New Major Vessels project. It calls for seven new vessels serving the busiest routes between the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island. It was not made clear when B.C. Ferries would release the RFPs for the two remaining vessels and Rustad signalled that B.C.-based companies should at the very least get a crack at bidding for those contracts, which have historically gone to ship-builders in Europe. <\/p>\n
Rustad pointed to a domestic shipbuilding industry emerging in B.C. since the establishment of the National Shipbuilding Strategy. B.C.-based Seaspan Marine secured the smaller of the two federal RFPs worth a total of $33 billions announced in 2011. <\/p>\n