Cuts To Kamloops Transit Latest Post-Election Flip-Flop From Campbell
VICTORIA – The Campbell government’s decision to cut public transit expansion for Kamloops by 60 per cent is yet the latest example of how the premier and his MLAs have changed their tune now that the election is over, the New Democrats said today.
“The Campbell government’s admission that they’re scaling back their transit expansion plans by 60 per cent is just the latest evidence that the premier was misleading British Columbians before the election,” New Democrat transportation critic Harry Bains said today.
Harry Bains
The provincial government had been working with Kamloops for nearly a year on a plan to add an additional 10,000 hours of transit service. Bains noted that shortly before the election, the Campbell government delayed the planned expansion. Yesterday the government finally admitted that the city will be receiving 6,000 fewer annual hours of service than promised.
“Last year, Kevin Krueger promised that his government would expand transit service to the southwest. But now that the election is over, we’ve learned that his promises were nothing more than hot air,” said Bains.
“How do Terry Lake and Kevin Krueger think they will be able to follow through on their promise to double transit ridership if their government is cutting transit expansion plans for Kamloops? Cutting transit is particularly short-sighted if we are serious about giving people alternatives to get out of their cars.”
New Democrat finance critic Bruce Ralston noted that the premier staked his re-election on a budget that promised to services and hold the deficit to a maximum of $495 million.
“For months, top business leaders were warning the premier that his budget numbers didn’t add up, but it was only last week that the finance minister finally admitted the premier will be breaking his promise,” said Ralston.
“The premier’s claim that he didn’t know the extent of the challenge until after the election just isn’t credible. B.C. had the second-worst economic performance in Canada last year, and has had the worst full-time job losses in the country over the past 12 months.”
Carole James and the New Democrats have been urging Gordon Campbell not to sacrifice vital public services simply to protect his own political reputation.
