QUESTION: What is your, and your party’s, position on the New England ferry?
MITCH BONNAR, PC
“Our position is the ferry is not going anywhere, we intend to keep the ferry here. The real issue with the ferry is the deal they currently have on the table is basically a blank chequebook, that is not good.” He says tens of millions have been on the Nova Star and now the Cat service. Passenger numbers last year were down from about 60,000 with the Nova Star’s first season to around 35,000. That’s going downhill, he says. “We have no issue, and I certainly have no issue, with the current operator or the boat. I personally think it’s probably the wrong boat for the service, but that really is not the issue. I’m sure that we can work a deal with the current operator – hopefully we can work a deal with the current operator – to get them more engaged with working directly with tourism.” Says passenger numbers need to get back up around 60,000 to 80,000 like it was years ago. “I think we can probably do that. But the reality is if we can’t do that, we might have to change the operator. But we’re guaranteeing you there is going to be no cut in service and no loss in service, it will transition properly.” He says nothing would change this season but over the summer and season they’ll be talking with the operator. “Hopefully we can make a deal. There will be no cut in service.”
DAVID OLIE, NDP
Says when the NDP was in power it put the Nova Star into service based on expert recommendations that a cruise ferry model was the best model. The Cat ferry, he says, carried 35 per cent less than what Nova Star did. “There may be other reasons for it, but it may not be the model that we should be trying to achieve.” He says the NDP is committed to maintaining the service but thinks it’s essential that greater efforts are explored to get federal funding for the service so that Nova Scotia is not carrying the entire burden. “Apart from that, we are committed to maintaining the service, we have to figure out a way to get trucks on the ferry… We have to work it out with Portland, somehow or another, so we can restore commercial truck traffic to the ferry service.”
ZACH CHURCHILL, LIBERAL
Says there is not a blank cheque for the service as it needs to undergo budgetary review and approval every year. “Last year they came in under budget. This year it’s at about $ 9.4 million. That is consistent with the historic cost of that vessel.” He says his opponents have suggested this is the wrong vessel or operator because there was a drop in numbers.
“There was a drop in numbers directly related to the fact that there was a break in service when we had to move from the Nova Star to this new ferry service. That creates delays in marketing. That creates new marketing initiatives – you need to do to tell them there is a new boat. It changes the schedule. Risking that sort of delay or disruption again, I think, could create an exponential threat to that service.” He says even with less passengers, last year’s room bookings in the area went up. “That high- speed service allows us to double the amount of people that are actually staying in our area, which is what we want. Our party position is very simple on this: we want a stable service. We signed a 10- year agreement with Bay Ferries, we are committed to that deal and we want to make sure that service is normalized in the eyes of Nova Scotians so they understand the benefit of it. We want to see that service grow, as it is already growing in Year 2. We cannot have any risk to that vessel.”