Bruce Ralston, MLA • Surrey-Whalley

VICTORIA – The B.C. Liberal government finally decided to follow the lead of Nova Scotia and Quebec on Monday by acknowledging the need to support our British Columbia shipbuilding industry, say New Democrats.

Currently, the federal government is deciding which provinces will procure some of the $35 billion in shipbuilding contracts. If Seaspan, the only contender from British Columbia, is able to obtain a share of those awarded contracts, 30 years of work and thousands of jobs can be created in this province.

“The B.C. New Democrats have written to the federal government twice and raised the issue with the B.C. Liberals time and time again to deaf ears,” said Maurine Karagianis, MLA for Esquimalt-Royal Roads. “And now we see a last ditch effort from the Premier to jump on board.

“We need to ensure that the B.C. Liberals take real initiative and follow through on lobbying the federal government for these lucrative contracts. With other provinces far ahead of us in their efforts to win these contracts, the B.C. Liberals need to send representatives to Ottawa to ensure we are not left out,” said Karagianis.

“The B.C. Liberals have failed the ship building industry,” noted Bruce Ralston, New Democrat finance critic. “Other provinces have been actively lobbying the federal government since the prime minister initially launched the National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy in June of 2010, yet Ms. Clark has refused to comment up until now.”

Ralston pointed out that New Democrats argued in the legislature that winning these contracts would be invaluable to B.C.’s economy – providing sustained, long-term economic growth and the creation of direct and indirect jobs along the coast.

Adrian Dix and the New Democrats are offering positive change British Columbians can trust, with compassionate, fair and pragmatic solutions to address B.C.’s social, economic and environmental challenges.