2004 Polling for Save Our Ferries

Ipsos Reid Polling by Save Our FerriesBy Ian Dutton
Times Colonist staff
Feb. 14, ’04
Suggestions that the provincial Liberals had no mandate to privatize BC Ferries is laughable, Transportation Minister Kevin Falcon said Friday.“I’d say we had a 77-seat mandate,” said Falcon, speaking via his cellphone.

“One of the things that was very clear throughout the last election campaign was the disgust people felt for political interference in the workings of the ferry system, especially the fast-ferries debacle.

“I think the majority of people agree with what we did, establishing an independent authority to remove political interference from the ferry service.”

Falcon was refuting a poll commissioned by the BC Ferry and Marine Workers Union which showed 80 per cent of those polled felt the government had no mandate to privatize the ferry system, and that 93 per cent felt the ferry service was simply an extension of the highway.

The minister also said he thought the poll was premature.

“As the process rolls out I think you’ll see more and more good things,” he said. “We’re already starting to see some improvements and I think we’ll see many more.”

He likened the privatization to that of Vancouver International Airport.

“I think if you talk to just about anyone who uses the airport, they’ll tell you it’s a lot better place to be than when it was government-run. Soon they’ll be saying the same thing about the ferries.”

Falcon said the ferry service is functioning as an extension of the highway, even though it is mandated to try to reach the fiscal break-even point.

“We’re still putting $100 million a year into the service and we will continue to do that.”

Times Colonist newspaper Feb. 14, ’04

Polling by Ipsos Reid on behalf of BC Ferry & Marine Workers’ Union,

January 13-18, 2004 with margin of error + 3.5% 19 times out of 20

	Provincial Average	Coastal	Non-Coastal
(1) The government should increase funding to our school systems to ensure that there is adequate funding for core curriculum programs in the education system?		97%	92%
a) Agree Strongly	79%
b) Agree strongly or somewhat strongly	93%

	Provincial Average	Coastal	Non-Coastal
(2) The BC Ferries and Inland Ferries are an integral part of the provincial highway system?		98%	92%
a) Agree Strongly	77%
b) Agree strongly or somewhat strongly	93%

	Provincial Average	Coastal	Non-Coastal
(3) The BC Government should fund and manage an efficient, publicly owned highway system?		95%	90%
a) Agree Strongly	68%
b) Agree strongly or somewhat strongly	91%

	Provincial Average	Coastal	Non-Coastal
(4) BC’s highway system should remain publicly-funded rather than privately financed?		95%	87%
a) Agree Strongly	69%
b) Agree strongly or somewhat strongly	89%

	Provincial Average	Coastal	Non-Coastal
(5) The BC Ferry system is an essential service and should not be required to return a profit to investors?		83%	81%
a) Agree Strongly	51%
b) Agree strongly or somewhat strongly	81%

	Provincial Average	Coastal	Non-Coastal
(6) Corporate sponsorships including marketing and vending agreements in schools should not be used to replace reduced education funding in our schools?		72%	71%
a) Agree Strongly	49%
b) Agree strongly or somewhat strongly	71%

	Provincial Average	Coastal	Non-Coastal((
(7) The BC Highway system is funded through a formula based on mileage called ‘highway equivalency’. Do you believe the ferries should be funded on a per mile basis similar to the highway system in order to provide stable funding, or should the system remain as it currently is with a subsidy system than can change?		83%	81%
a) Use a per mile system	30%	26%	30%
b) Remain as is	52%	54%	52%
c) Neither	9%	8%	9%
d) Don’t know/not stated	9%	12%	9%

Provincial Average

Coastal

Non-Coastal

(8) Have you heard of the legislation
that privatized and now governs
BC Ferries, enacted in 2003, Bill
C-18, otherwise known as the
Coastal Ferry Act?

45%

57%

52%

	Provincial Average	Coastal	Non-Coastal
(9) The Coastal Ferry Act states that BC Ferry Services Incorporated must consider contracting out services including ferry routes. Do you believe BC Ferry Services would provide a more reliable service if broken up into multiple segments and contracted out to private operators or would it be more reliable if it remained as is?		72%	71%
a) Agree Strongly	21%	14%	23%
b) Agree strongly or somewhat strongly	74%	78%	73%
c) Don’t know/not stated	5%	8%	4%

	Provincial Average	Coastal	Non-Coastal
(10) The Coastal Ferry Act allows for contracting out of services in order to reduce costs, effectively breaking up BC Ferry Services into a number of smaller parts. Some people feel that this is the best way to reduce the cost to taxpayers. Others feel that BC Ferry Services should seek cost savings through administrative and operational efficiencies first before changing the current system. Which of these two viewpoints most closely reflects your own?
a) Contracting out	22%	17%	24%
b) Administrative and operational efficiencies	74%	78%	73%
c) Don’t know/not stated	4%	5%	4%

(11) BC Ferries traditionally has subsidized fares on some of its smaller routes from some of the busier ferry routes. This results in slightly higher fares on the larger routes but more affordable fares on the smaller routes. This practice is referred to as ‘cross subsidization’ and the practice is scheduled to be terminated. Do you support or oppose cross subsidization of ferry routes? Would that be strongly or somewhat?
a) Somewhat oppose	32%	30%	33%
b) Strongly oppose	13%	13%	13%
c) Strongly support	33%	41%	31%
d) Somewhat support	65%	69%	64%

(12) Do you support or oppose the sale of publicly-owned assets such as ferries to private operators? Would that be strongly or somewhat?
a) Somewhat oppose	73%	83%	70%
b) Strongly oppose	51%	57%	50%
c) Strongly support	10%	6%	11%
d) Somewhat support	26%	16%	28%

	Provincial Average	Coastal	Non-Coastal
(13) Some people feel that the provincial government was mandated in the last election to apply major changes to the way public service is delivered in this province. Others say that the provincial government was not given a mandate for major changes such as the privatization of BC Hydro and BC Ferries and should seek more public input before the changes are made. Which of these two view points is closest to your own?
a) Government WAS mandated	17%	10%	18%
b) Government was NOT mandated	80%	86%	79%
c) Don’t know/not stated	3%	4%	3%

	Provincial Average	Coastal	Non-Coastal
(14) BC Ferry Services Incorporated, a private company, has a 60 year contract with the government to provide a public transportation service. Some people feel this is too long of a contract while others feel it is an appropriate contract length. Which of these two viewpoints is closer to your own?
a) 60 years is too long	71%	72%	70%
b) Appropriate length	24%	21%	25%
c) Don’t know/not stated	5%	7%	5%

	Provincial Average	Coastal	Non-Coastal
(15) The Coastal Ferry Act does not include wording to require BC Ferry Services to address public concerns. Do you believe that the Act should require the participation of public advisory groups in order to obtain public input into major policy decisions?	71%	72%	70%
	89%	93%	88%

	Provincial Average	Coastal	Non-Coastal
(16) The Auditor General is responsible for monitoring the use of public tax money. BC Ferry Services receives about 98 million dollars annually to provide ferry services. Do you believe that BC Ferry Services should be subject to the scrutiny of the Auditor General as other publicly-funded services are or should the system remain as is?
a) Subject to scrutiny	80%	72%	82%
b) Remain as is	18%	24%	16%
c) Don’t know/not stated	3%	4%	3%