(The Canadian Press distributed the following story on July 8.)
VICTORIA, B.C. — British Columbians are being kept in the dark about the government’s plans to privatize Crown-owned B.C. Rail, says Joy MacPhail, Opposition New Democratic Party leader.
A government panel met Tuesday to decide which business was placed on a short list to bid for parts of the railway company, but the public was kept out of the process, MacPhail said.
The Liberal government introduced legislation last spring that allows a private company to take over much of B.C. Rail’s operations, with the exception of the rail bed.
Canadian National is reportedly only one of several companies interested in B.C. Rail. Others include Canadian Pacific, Burlington Northern-Santa Fe and Union Pacific.
“I say to (Premier) Gordon Campbell that he should open up this secretive B.C. Rail bid review and allow the public to scrutinize his method by which he’s going to make the decision to sell off B.C. Rail,” MacPhail said.
But a Transportation Ministry spokesman, who didn’t want his name published, said the bid process has always been open to the public.
The request for bid proposals, including the successful bid criteria, is posted on the government’s Web site, he said.
Representatives of local communities and workers anticipated to be affected by railway privatization should at least be given insight into the bid process, MacPhail said.
The NDP has used a series of leaked documents to argue that the Liberals intend for CN to take over B.C. Rail, alleging that would result in a nearly 70 per cent cut in the 1,800-person workforce and abandonment of the line south of Squamish.
MacPhail also suggested earlier the tracks would be ripped up between Whistler and North Vancouver to improve highway access for the 2010 Olympics.
“There’s scant detail about how they are going to determine who gets the bid,” she said.”I’m saying open this up, open the B.C. bid review to public scrutiny and allow the citizens and communities served by B.C. Rail to judge the worthiness of the successful bid as compared to the status quo.”
North Vancouver-based B.C. Rail delivers freight to and from British Columbia’s Interior and northern communities.
The railway’s passenger service was halted late last year.
MacPhail said the company is projected to earn more than $140 million in the next two years.