Photo Darren Stone. Time Colonist
Two weeks ago, the B.C. Liberals ridiculed the NDP government’s leisurely “review” of the Massey Tunnel replacement project, claiming it’s a sham because they never had any intention of carrying on with the huge bridge.
Liberals made the claim based on an election campaign document that pretty much said exactly that. The undated document was headed: This Is What Bold Looks Like. Outlining some rapid-transit projects, it said: “We’ll pay for this instead of replacing the Massey Tunnel.”
The official version is that the $3.5-billion bridge is on hold until at least next spring, while “all options are fully explored” and a big study is finished on how it fits into regional and provincial priorities.
But the campaign document suggests you could change “next spring” to “when hell freezes over.” It was a Christy Clark pet project and it’s deader than the Monty Python parrot.
Vancouver Islanders might feel slighted because the stall consigns them to drive the nasty old tunnel under the Fraser River en route to Vancouver for another decade or so while metro politicians argue about what to build next.
But on the bright side, there’s some amusement about what started the argument about the NDP’s real intentions.
The campaign document was found in a desk in one of the Opposition cubbyholes that the Liberals moved into after their government collapsed in June. Liberal staff said they found it in NDP MLA Rob Fleming’s old desk, after he moved over to the education minister’s suite. (Isn’t there something in the new curriculum about keeping things neat and tidy?)
This week, the Liberals went back to that modest lost-and-found treasure trove for another instalment of This Is What Bold Looks Like. Still on the theme of transportation, the “platform prep” document discusses the need for a “gimmick” related to B.C. Ferries.
“Note: The math has not been done, but we need a significant move — While we are considering the Crown/Ministry location, what people really want is a cut in fares and reliable service. If we are looking for the ‘gimmick,’ perhaps we would have a ferry card for every B.C. resident, which would allow for a guaranteed break on fares.”
The chatty, just-thinking-out-loud tone suggests it was written early in the campaign-preparation period. And the idea didn’t survive the final cut. The NDP campaign platform just promised a 15 per cent cut in fares on the minor routes, a fare freeze on the majors and restoration of the 100 per cent seniors’ weekday discount.
But the oblique reference at the start — “considering the Crown/Ministry location” — suggests the party was also mulling over yanking B.C. Ferries back into the control of the government, by restoring it as a Crown corporation.
B.C. Liberals rejigged it in 2003 as a privately run outfit owned by the government, in order to stop the rampant political interference that characterized the NDP term. But over time, they wound up meddling politically with the best of them.
Now, the NDP seems to be thinking about going back to the good old days of direct ministerial control. That concept didn’t make it to the final version of the platform, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s dead.
The “bold” document also discussed a few other fare options, such as giving British Columbians ID cards guaranteeing fare cuts. Or just giving fare cuts based on proof of residence. Confusion with the existing experience card was noted. It also suggested closing the B.C. Ferries vacation centre in downtown Vancouver.
“Although this works out in accounting terms revenue-neutral, it is symbolic of all that is wrong with B.C. Ferries.”
The NDP apparently views it as an unnecessary add-on, although financial reports show $6 million worth of packaged vacations were sold last year, up 32 per cent from the previous year.
Just So You Know: There’s a new development on the Massey Tunnel propaganda front. People were starting to snicker at the government billboards hailing the construction start on the replacement project, given that it’s stalled out. Now, a Liberal MLA has hammered up new signs aimed at getting it restarted. They feature pictures of Premier John Horgan and Green Leader Andrew Weaver. “Stuck in Traffic? Thank These Guys.”
lleyne@timescolonist.com
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