Fast Ferry Scandal - Political Goals of The Fast Ferry Program

Political Goals of The Fast Ferry Program

Perhaps more important than the need for a more efficient ferry system was the NDP Government's desire to rebuild and collect taxes from the shipbuilding industry of British Columbia. During the early 1900s, shipbuilding in British Columbia was at its greatest, in support of a booming fishing industry. During the Second World War, shipbuilding again peaked with the delivery of two 10,000-ton freighters every week. By the 1990s, however, shipbuilding in British Columbia was nearly dead due, in-part, to the ballooning cost of materials, labour disputes, and increasing competition from Asian shipyards.

Faced with the potential collapse of the west coast ship building industry the New Democratic Party attempted to create business by creating the Fast Ferry Program. Local shipbuilders could emulate the success of Australian shipbuilders such as Incat in Tasmania and Austal Shipbuilding in the global fast ferry market.

In the early planning stages of the project, Australian fast ferry operator Holyman, then one of the biggest and most experienced fast ferry operators in the world, was in talks with BC Ferries and the NDP Government. The Holyman Managing Director and its Global Development Manager met with the Minister for Transport and cautioned him against the BC Ferries FastCat plan. They suggested that a first time builder would find it impossible to construct the vessels on time, within budget, or within weight specification. They also suggested that the intended power would be insufficient to meet targeted speed, even if the vessels were built within weight. Finally, they suggested that the ongoing maintenance and operation of fast ferries required specialised expertise. The company offered its expertise to the government. Their warnings and the offer were ignored.