Here we go again!

Translink has awarded a 25 million dollar contract to a Netherlands company to build a new Seabus boat. Bob Padden of Translink, on talking to Mike Smythe at CKNW, said they had bids from three shipbuilders. One from the US, the one from the Netherlands, and one from a BC builder!

When questioned about the cost, Mr. Padden said the BC bid was two million dollars more, so the contract was awarded to the European company. Do you remember we sent 430 million dollars for three BC ferries to a German company to support their employees. Money directly sent outside of our province with absolutely no spin-offs to BC business.

Mr. Padden had no concern at all about BC workers losing out on the contract, even when pressed that the residual benefits would far exceed the two million dollar difference. He arrogantly said that was not Translink's concern and it was not their policy to promote BC jobs! Apparently we pay this man about half a million dollars a year to make these kinds of decisions. When asked about Christy Clark's BC Jobs Plan, Padden said the BC Government had nothing to do with Translink as they were totally independent! And there was no priority to contract work to British Columbia companies. It was NOT their policy!

So we are back in the position of allowing Netherlands workers to buy cars and stoves and pension plans. At the cost of BC taxpayers! It is a shame that we have people in high positions who seem to be working independently of British Columbia interests.

Once again, if we understand how international business works, in regards to big money contracts, we have to wonder what other benefits are contained in this decision. All we can say is they'd better hide the money trail carefully, because some people are determined to find out who is getting what.
When you obviously work against the benefit of the people whose money you are spending, you evoke suspicion for your methods. Either that or you just don't give a damn. Either way there needs to be an accounting to the government of BC and perhaps someone needs to be fired.

One should ask Christy Clark what happened to her BC Jobs Plan? Having people working in BC should be a priority. The money drain because of contracts like this weighs heavily toward the ability to have a balanced budget. People who are working in BC are spending that pay within BC!

Mr. Paddon doesn't consider or care about British Columbians. Why do we consistently hire these people? Spending 25 million in a foreign country over spending 27 million in BC is false economy by anyone's standards. Evidently Paddon doesn't comprehend that.

I would ask all those BC Liberals who are so obediently quiet what are they proposing to do for British Columbians if they are elected in May? And how can we trust them to do anything if they cannot speak up for the voters now?

Same old same old from the BC Liberal Government.