Dear Editor:
It was no surprise to me that TransLink would award the new SeaBus contract to an offshore shipyard, they always do the wrong thing.
I have a few questions: Does the winning bid take into consideration the delivery cost of transporting it and voyage insurance from the Singapore shipyard (cost from North Vancouver's Allied Shipbuilders: nil) not to mention the costs for tests, trials, etc. in Singapore? No doubt TransLink's sisters, cousins and aunts will enjoy the junket to Singapore - apologies to HMS Pinafore.
After taxes and federal import duty, where is the two million savings?
Does TransLink have permission to lend Canadian technology, drawings, etc. to a foreign shipyard?
What happened to Canadian content - we always had to prove that when bidding on a ship, to calculate tax duties. Have they allowed for the import taxes and for future spare parts, etc.?
As we all know the labour cost alone, approximately 15 million, would have raised approximately three million in income taxes, employment insurance, medical premiums which would have gone to the federal and provincial coffers.
David Gavine, North Vancouver
