Mr. Speaker, I first want to thank my colleague for staying up late tonight to show up for this important debate.
I am going to correct a couple of things. First of all, the pandemic relief that the federal government provided to BC Ferries was also provided to the east coast. It was equal in terms of per capita. Second, the loans that the member cited are repayable loans. Even with the loan interest at $26 million a year and the $38 million, when we look at loan savings per year over 25 years, that does not even come close to the hundreds of millions of dollars that the federal government subsidizes on the east coast.
There are approximately 350,000 passengers on the east coast and 22 million at BC Ferries, yet the federal government gives hundreds of millions of dollars to Atlantic Canada, which we support, but they shortchange British Columbians. It has been far too long since the government has reviewed the essential ferry funding for British Columbians. It is time for the government to fix it.
The population of Vancouver Island is more than the population of New Brunswick, more than that of Newfoundland and Labrador and P.E.I. together, and almost the same as that of Nova Scotia. This is long overdue. I am here at 12.22 a.m. not because I think this is fair. It is unfair.