The Yarmouth Ferry was a popular subject yesterday between the Liberals and Progressive Conservatives.
The spring sitting opened at the Nova Scotia Legislature with Opposition Leader Jamie Baillie saying Portland is calling the shots on the ferry service, not the province.
“They get all the jobs, there are no Canadians on that boat. There is no trucks, there will be no lobsters going across and it’s up to the people of Portland, who are putting in zero dollars whether we get the schedule we want or not.”
Meanwhile, Transportation Minister Geoff MacLellan says they made the best deal.
“They want to make this their political story, this is what they want to do. They’re going to attack the service, they’re going to attack Mark McDonald, we’re not giving up. This is going to work because we’ve put the time in. We have the best deal and the best operator.”
Baillie then criticized the Liberal government for the deal made with Bay Ferries Limited.
“It’s obvious to just about every Nova Scotian that this government made a very bad deal when it signed away $100-million to support a boat between Yarmouth and Portland.”
The deal made is actually $32.7-million over the first two seasons.
MacLellan says a $100-million deal is simply not true.
“We signed the best deal we could with the best operator that we had. It’s not $100-million, that’s the political number the Tories are going to use to create this narrative.”
Portland City Council plans to debate the ferry on May 2.
