June 11, 2025
Parteek Singh Mahal
The Conservative Official Opposition is urging the NDP government to cancel the BC Ferries deal, which would send billions of British Columbia dollars to a state-owned shipyard in China closely linked to the Chinese military.
The decision by BC Ferries to procure its next four vessels from China is seen as jeopardizing British Columbia’s economy and Canada’s security, particularly at a time when tariffs and trade tensions with China are high on national and international agendas.
Harman Bhangu, MLA for Langley-Abbotsford and Conservative Official Opposition Critic for Transportation and BC Ferries, stated, “Premier Eby put on a big show of not stopping in China on his trade mission to Asia. Then the NDP sends billions of dollars to a state-owned shipyard in China.”
Bhangu emphasized the government’s control over BC Ferries, noting, “The government appoints most of the BC Ferries board, including the board chair, who is a former NDP cabinet minister.” He directly called upon Transportation Minister Mike Farnworth to intervene, urging him to “tell his old friend Joy MacPhail to stop this deal before it’s too late.” Joy MacPhail, current BC Ferries board chair, served alongside Farnworth as a minister in Glen Clark’s NDP government during the controversial Fast Ferries scandal.
The Conservatives point to the ongoing economic impact of China’s actions, noting that British Columbia’s seafood harvesters have been forced to slash prices by as much as 50 percent to remain in business since China imposed punitive tariffs on B.C. seafood on March 20. Bhangu concluded, “China’s tariffs are putting B.C. jobs at risk, and the answer from BC Ferries is to hand China the biggest ferry contract in a generation.”
Bhangu called on the federal government to conduct a national security review of the contract if Farnworth doesn’t move immediately to kill the deal.
Adding to the debate, B.C.’s Transportation Minister Mike Farnworth himself has publicly stated his concerns regarding the contract awarded to a Chinese state-owned company for four new ferries. Farnworth expressed apprehension about procuring services from any country that is actively harming Canada’s economy through unfair tariffs or other protectionist trade practices.
BC Ferries announced the deal with China Merchants Industry Weihai Shipyards following an international procurement process in which no Canadian companies submitted bids. The first of these new ferries is expected to arrive in 2029, with the remaining vessels arriving at six-month intervals thereafter.
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