Port Investment Marks New Era
for B.C. says Jay Hill
MP Says Good Business Sense Overcame Federal Indecision
Friday, April 15, 2005
OTTAWA – Jay Hill, Member of Parliament for Prince
George-Peace River and Official Opposition House Leader,
credited a good business case and hard work by private
sector stakeholders and municipal councils for today’s
announcement that the federal and BC provincial governments
will sign-on to the $120-million redevelopment of the
Port of Prince Rupert.
“I’m thrilled for the province of British
Columbia and all of Canada. So many of us are breathing
a sigh of relief that the green light has finally been
given by the federal government for an expanded, modernized
Port in Prince Rupert,” said Hill. “This sets
the stage for remarkable new international trade opportunities
and demonstrates to the world that Canada is open for
business with an efficient, state-of-the art transportation
infrastructure.”
Hill first began lobbying the federal Liberal government
to commit to the redevelopment of the Port of Prince Rupert,
which is 30 hours closer to Asian markets, during Question
Period in the House of Commons last Fall. Citing support
by Conservative MPs for the project, Hill asked, “Is
the Minister of Transport prepared to come on board with
this proposal.”
“There has been great concern among BC municipalities,
industry and business that the federal government wasn’t
willing to do what was needed to make this vision for
the Port of Prince Rupert a reality,” explained
Hill. “These stakeholders deserve credit for their
dedication and perseverance that ultimately left Ottawa
with no choice but to acknowledge the tremendous benefits
this project will offer the entire country.”
Hill cautioned there remains issues to be addressed with
regard to the Port of Prince Rupert, including indications
that the federal government will charge the facility for
security taxes or costs not charged to the Port of Vancouver.
Hill concluded, “The Port of Prince Rupert must
enjoy a level playing field in order to compete fairly
with other ports in North America. That means the federal
government must not burden the facility with inequitable
costs or unnecessary delays.”
-30-
For more information, please contact:
Jay Hill, M.P. (613) 947-4524 or (250) 787-119
|
