Baillie wants answers on Yarmouth ferry promotion
HALIFAX, NS – Progressive Conservative leader Jamie Baillie says taxpayers should not have to pay for gas for Americans travelling on the Yarmouth ferry
The McNeil Liberals and Bay Ferries, in a desperate attempt to boost rider numbers, are promoting $25 and $50 gas cards. Baillie wants to know who is footing the bill for the gas cards.
“Nova Scotians should not have to pay for Americans to fill up,” says Baillie. “Stephen McNeil must get to the bottom of who is paying for the gas cards and make sure taxpayers are protected.”
Baillie says many Nova Scotians are struggling to pay for their own vacation.
“It’s an insult to hard working Nova Scotians if they are now on the hook for paying for Americans’ gas too,” says Baillie. “We support an international ferry link, but Stephen McNeil’s bad deal puts the long-term prospect of a ferry service in serious jeopardy.”
Baillie says what’s even worse is Premier McNeil’s cover up of the operator’s management fees.
“The Premier refuses to release the management fees the operator will receive regardless of how the season goes. That’s wrong,” says Baillie. “Taxpayers alone bear all the risk and cover all the losses. This was a political deal signed in a rush.”
Like all Nova Scotians who want a direct international link to the U.S., the tourism operators of Sou’west Nova Scotia deserve a far better deal than this one, says Baillie.
“We all deserve a deal based on sound economics, long-term sustainability and full public transparency,” says Baillie. “We will replace the bad ferry deal with one we can afford.”
Screenshot via TheFiftyOne.com