John Rustad has accused David Eby of "abandoning Canadian workers" by awarding a BC Ferries contract to a Chinese company.While no Canadian companies bid on the project, the BC Conservative leader slammed the premier for missing a deadline that could have seen the four ships built in Norway, a country that is more aligned with Canadian values."Premier Eby talks about building a stronger Canada — but when it mattered most, he turned his back on Canadian workers and handed the deal to Beijing," Rustad lamented. "First it was saying no to a new pipeline, now it's this new agreement. This premier has utterly abandoned Team Canada.".According to BC Ferries, four new vessels will be built by China Merchants Industry Weihai Shipyards, a subsidiary of a "state-owned enterprise directly administered by the central government." The company has built numerous ships for a number of western countries over the years.Rustad demanded that Eby tell British Columbians why the Norway deadline was missed."We want to know: what's the extra cost from the NDP missing the Norway deal?" Rustad asked. "British Columbians deserve transparency — not botched procurement and crisis management."The BC Conservative leader went on to criticize Eby for saying one thing and doing another.."While the Premier was posing for cameras and excluding China from his Asian trade mission, he knew full well that BC’s largest ferry contract in years was going straight to China," he said. "You can't claim to support Canadian jobs while handing them over to a foreign country."Canada and China have an extensive trade relationship, though the latter's partnership with the former's enemies have led many to question at which point Ottawa — and Victoria — should pull away."What happened to Canada First?" Rustad asked. "The BC NDP talks a big game — but their actions consistently fail the people of this province. We need a government that stands up for Canadian workers and Canadian values."
