BC Conservatives to Victoria - Obey your "Gift Card" law

British Columbians in an uproar about BC Ferries president David Hahn’s decision to hang onto $1.2 million in cancelled pre-paid trips, may be interested in knowing that his annual compensation package is $1 million dollars a year. 
“In documents that were released in a Freedom of Information request, it is now known that BC Ferries has chosen not to honour a total of 15,765 prepaid trips, bought through Assured Loading Tickets or Coast Cards”, said BC Conservative
party spokesperson Keith Roy.

Commenting on the situation, BC Conservative Party President Wayne McGrath stated,

“British Columbians are definitely going to be wondering, what exactly is happening with BC Ferries? 

After all, earlier this year CEO David Hahn projected there would be a $25 million annual shortfall beginning next year –
then there was the news that BC Ferries would require a 20 to 50 per cent fare increase on some of their routes – and now this.”

Passengers that use BC Ferries have been quoted as saying this should be “illegal” … and if
nothing else it is “unethical”.

We in the BC Conservative Party would like to remind the Christy Clark of a release from the Business Practices and Consumer Protection Authority dated October 17^th, 2008 in which it was stated:

The Business Practices and Consumer Protection Authority (BPCPA) is pleased to inform consumers that
the BC government has introduced new laws for prepaid purchase cards (commonly known as gift cards and gift certificates), effective November 1, 2008.

The Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General has passed legislation stating that cards issued or sold after November 1st will not be allowed to have expiry dates or charge fees, with a few exceptions.  These exceptions include cards being sold by malls, cards sold for charitable or promotional purposes or for a specific good or service. 

“While we realize that gift cards are not the same as a pre-paid boarding pass, we along with likely most British Columbians, will not see them as much different.   After all what really is the difference between a pre-paid pass – and a
pre-paid gift card?” said McGrath.

“We call on Christy Clark to demand BC Ferries not be allowed to have expiry dates on the nearly 16 thousand passes that Hahn decided to cancel, and that this Liberal government should go so far as to issue a public
apology for this appalling situation.”