Madam Speaker, I am pleased to have this opportunity to follow up on a question that I asked last week of the Minister of Transport concerning Transport Canada's rescission of the order that allowed BC Ferries to keep passengers on the lower car decks. I want to start by saying it is not debatable that minimizing public contact is the best way of preventing the unnecessary spread of COVID-19. This is an accepted fact among public health officials and indeed our own federal government.
I want to also recognize the leadership that has been shown by the B.C. NDP government, Premier John Horgan, Health Minister Adrian Dix and of course Dr. Bonnie Henry, the chief medical officer for the Province of B.C. They have been instrumental in shepherding B.C. through the crisis. What we are now seeing, however, is an expected uptick of cases as that second wave starts to hit our province. That is why the recent decision by Transport Canada does not seem to make any sense.
Last Thursday, the minister stated he had legitimate concerns over marine safety. I agree: There is always the potential for fire when one is on a large ferry. We have seen ships sink in the past. These are legitimate concerns. However, if we look at the safety record of BC Ferries over the last number of years, there have been no recorded incidents of fires, and there was only one major incident reported. I think we can recognize that BC Ferries has an excellent safety record. A large part of that is due to the amazing crew, who form part of the BC Ferry and Marine Workers' Union, so I really want to thank them for their efforts in keeping passengers safe and for the professionalism with which they do their jobs each and every day.
What is important to highlight here, in this adjournment proceedings debate, is not only the track record of BC Ferries and the professionalism of its crew in keeping passengers safe, but contrasting that with the expected second wave that is about to hit our province and the knowledge that maintaining physical distancing is important in stopping the spread of COVID-19.
I am a proud Vancouver Islander. Everyone else who lives on Vancouver Island and in the Gulf Islands understands how important and vital BC Ferries is as a transportation link. It is an accepted fact that, if one of the larger ferries is at full capacity, it is impossible to maintain the kind of physical distancing required to stop the spread of COVID-19 on the passenger decks. When Transport Canada allowed people to stay on the lower car decks, it was an important measure that in large part helped stop the spread of COVID-19, especially on our ferries. I do not think there is any way the Minister of Transport can tell passengers who have used BC Ferries that this kind of physical distancing can be maintained when their own government accepts the science behind physical distancing, and that we want to keep the minimum number of people from going above deck.
All I ask of the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport is that I hope he reconsiders the decision, in light of the expected second wave, and that Transport Canada saw that this policy was good enough for the previous number of months. To have it rescind that order, right on the doorstep of an expected second wave, is a real head-scratcher. I implore him to listen to the asks of the B.C. government, and that Transport Canada gives BC Ferries the freedom to do so again.