Re: MP James Lunney’s rebuttal, through a recent letter to the editor, to John Harding’s editorial about derelict vessels (‘Derelict politics’).
I spoke to James Lunney about this issue at an event in his early days as our MP.
When I suggested that vessels at government docks be required to carry insurance requiring a marine surveyor’s inspection every five years, Lunney responded to me that such a requirement might result in numerous vessels being scuttled, because the (derelict) owners would likely be unable to qualify/pay to keep their vessels seaworthy.
It has been well over a decade since this encounter, during which our MP has buried his head deep in the sand on this issue, with not a word reaching our ears about his concerns re: derelict vessels.
Only now that an opportunity emerges to disparage another political party does he speak against a proposed solution and point to the U.S. as the way to go.
In the U.S. they have hurricanes, which generate thousands of wrecked vessels (similar to the condition of our derelicts) and the U.S. has no choice but to find ways of recycling and scrapping them.
Perhaps Ottawa is awaiting the arrival of Canadian hurricanes which will force them to deal with the issue. It is pretty clear that nothing else will initiate action.
David KelseyQualicum Beach
