Saturday, January 21, 2006

Reflagging the Liberal Party

PM's Canadian Steamship Lines which is now run by his sons is planning to re-flag one of its Canadian ships and replace its Canadian sailors with Russians the day after the election.

Like father like son. Under PM the Canadian government increased it's reliance on P3's and contracting out.
The Neo Liberal Canadian State

I wonder if PM plans to do the same with the "smoking hulk "of the good ship Liberal Party.

Crew of PM’s sons’ ship fear for jobs
Rumours say vessel will be reflagged, deckhands replaced after election




A crewman walks past the tattered Canadian flag aboard the Canadian Steamship Lines bulk carrier Atlantic Superior, which is docked at Pier 34 in Halifax. (TIM KROCHAK / Staff)


By STEPHEN MAHER Staff Reporter

The crew of a vessel owned by Prime Minister Paul Martin’s family is afraid the company is only waiting for the election to end before reflagging the ship and replacing the sailors with a foreign crew.

The Atlantic Superior, a 220-metre bulk carrier that usually works in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway, is in Halifax for repairs to its engine.

The rumour on the docks is that Canada Steamship Lines Inc., the company Mr. Martin built and eventually handed to his sons, plans to register it abroad and hire a cheaper foreign crew, but is waiting until Tuesday, because the news might hurt Mr. Martin’s electoral chances if it came out in the middle of the campaign.

"That’s why he might have kept the Canadians on board until just after the election, because he knows that it would kill them if he would do so right now," said a union source, who asked not to be named.

The rusty ship, flying a tattered Canadian flag, is tied up at Pier 34 in Halifax, with a skeleton crew aboard.

"The Canadian crew have been pretty open about it around the port, that the ship will be reflagged and crewed with Russians after the election," said one waterfront source, who spoke on condition of anonymity.


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