Pressure from NDP representatives on the government to build ships inside British Columbia

At the recent NDP party convention in Victoria, the party’s representatives asked the government of British Columbia to build the new BC Ferries ships inside the province and to give priority to local manufacturers. This request was made after BC Ferries awarded the order for building four new ships to a state-owned company in China. This decision triggered reactions from major labour unions, including BC Building Trade and the British Columbia Federation of Labour, and they submitted a resolution to change this approach.

The outlook of B.C.’s shipbuilding industry

Bryn Bourke, director of BC Building Trade, says the shipbuilding industry of British Columbia has for years faced challenges related to capacity and investment and is now in a critical stage. He believes that if political support similar to what exists in countries such as Germany and Poland is strengthened in B.C., the revival of shipbuilding inside the province will be possible.

The importance of creating local jobs

Rob Ashton, president of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and a candidate for the federal NDP leadership, supported the resolution and said that building ships inside the country can create thousands of good and stable jobs. In his speech he said: “When Germany builds its own ships, why can’t we?” This speech was met with wide applause from more than 800 delegates.

The main requests of this resolution include the following:
 • Increasing provincial and federal investment in B.C.’s shipbuilding industry
 • New laws to guarantee domestic content in marine projects
 • Reinstating the 25% import tariff for ships built outside the country
 • Close cooperation with Ottawa to strengthen shipbuilding in Canada

This vote is being held ahead of the renewed review of the leadership of David Eby, the Premier of British Columbia.

Source: globalnews.ca