(The following article was posted the CBC British Columbia’s website on June 9.)
PRINCE GEORGE, B.C. — NDP leader Joy MacPhail warns the privatization of B.C. Rail may deal a death blow to the economy of Prince George.
She say she the northern city will lose almost every B.C. Rail job it has – about 400 workers – if CN Rail takes over.
But MacPhail notes that’s not something the community is hearing about from its two local Liberal MLAs.
“I am deeply disturbed by the misleading of the B.C. Liberal MLAs about what the sell-off of B.C. Rail means for Prince George,” she says.
Prince George Mayor Colin Kinsley agrees mass layoffs would be a huge blow to his city.
But he doesn’t believe it will happen. And he says he doesn’t believe local MLAs are pulling the wool over his eyes.
“Pat Bell and Shirley Bond are not misleading me,” he says. “Maybe we don’t know what’s going on behind closed doors.”
Kinsley says he was part the mayors’ council which advised the government it wouldn’t stand abandoned rail lines or mass layoffs.
“We made it very adamantly clear what we want…and I suppose the government can do something else at their peril.”