Vaughn Palmer: Bridge promise could cost even more than wildly over-budget tunnel

VICTORIA — B.C. Conservative Leader Lorne Doerkson says his hands are tied regarding the fate of the replacement for the Massey Tunnel under the Fraser River until he takes office as premier later this month.

The premier-designate was asked at a news conference Thursday: If a bridge is the plan why are crews still working on a new tunnel, which is in a different spot than where the bridge would be?

“We’re not actually in power and not in a position to make any decisions with respect to the workforce that is there,” replied Doerkson. “However, we will be making a decision very quickly after the 20th, of course, when we are sworn in.”

Yet NDP leader John Horgan set an important precedent on the handling of major projects like the Massey in the weeks before he took office as NDP premier in 2017.

On June 1, 2017, a few days after concluding a power-sharing agreement with the Greens and six weeks before he was sworn in as premier, Horgan fired off a letter to B.C. Hydro about the Site C dam project.

“I am concerned at the potential to increase the liability of B.C. Hydro, B.C. Hydro ratepayers and taxpayers for new contracts that B.C. Hydro may be contemplating during this time of uncertainty regarding future governments,” said Horgan.

“We urge B.C. Hydro not to finalize any contracts that do not contain a penalty-free cancellation clause until a new government has gained the confidence of the legislature to govern and decide future policy regarding the Site C project.”

He further urged Hydro to put off expropriating any homes along the route of a pending highway relocation adjacent to the dam and reservoir. He also reminded the giant utility of the NDP’s intention, on taking office, to subject Site C to a review by the B.C. Utilities Commission.

Horgan had no authority to tell Hydro what to do because he was not yet premier. But as his chief of staff, Bob Dewar, explained at the time, the letter was a reminder that government and its Crown corporations are supposed to be in caretaker mode during the transition between administrations.

Had the Conservatives considered issuing a similar reminder to the B.C. Transportation Ministry saying “slow down because we want to review the Massey replacement project?” I asked Doerkson Thursday.

“Yes, absolutely we contemplate that every day,” replied the premier designate. “The information that we have received to date is pretty disheartening with that project. I mean, the fact that we’re so far into it now, nine years, no environmental certificate, and the cost has been absolutely horrendous.”

He said the incoming Conservatives are in talks with the NDP government regarding the future of the Fraser River crossing project, as it is known officially.

“We are expecting briefings in the next couple of days,” Doerkson continued, “and we’ll be able to make a more informed decision.”

Last summer, the David Eby government finally admitted the Massey Tunnel replacement was in deep financial trouble and doubled the cost estimate to $8.5 billion from the previous $4.15 billion. It also cancelled the main contract and sent the bidding process back to square one.