Premier Eby says deal to hire Chinese shipyard not "preferred" but will not interfere

B.C. Premier David Eby says he shares the concerns of union leaders who have criticized BC Ferries' decision to build four large ferries in China.

But Eby says he will not interfere with the company's decision to contract a Chinese shipyard owned by the Communist government to build four new ferries, calling the vessels "urgently needed" despite the deal not being his "preferred outcome."

The decision by BC Ferries, a company that operates independently of the provincial government but is wholly owned by it, has drawn widespread criticism from groups including the BC Federation of Labour.

It has called BC Ferries' decision a "colossal mistake" and a "short-sighted decision" that will send hundreds of millions of dollars out of province and into the pockets of a "brutal authoritarian regime."

Eby says no Canadian company bid for the contract, adding that B.C. shipyards currently lack the necessary capacity — highlighting the hollowing out of the provincial shipbuilding industry.

But Eby, who was speaking for the first time after returning from his trade mission to Asia, says B.C. will be working with the federal government to ensure that the next major vessels for BC Ferries will be built in the province — or at the very least in Canada.