NDP RE-ANNOUNCES THEIR TRANSIT RE-ANNOUNCEMENT

BC Liberal Party

May 7, 2009

STOP THE NDP

For Immediate Release

It has become fairly common for the NDP to re-announce government initiatives. But they took it to a whole new level today as the NDP re-announced an earlier re-announcement.

The BC Liberals revealed on April 28th at the NDP’s first re-announcement of the BC Liberal transit policy that the NDP were again making unfunded commitments and flat-out copying BC Liberal initiatives. It appears Carole James and the NDP did not get this information last time: http://www.bcliberals.com/stop_the_ndp/stop_the_ndp__learn_more/ndp_re-announces_government_transit_plan

So here are the facts again:

NDP COMMITTMENT: "a 15-per-cent transit fare rollback"

THE FACTS:

• This is a completely unfunded commitment.
• On April 28th Carole James said the cost of this commitment was $21 million, which is $3 million more than the NDP actually budgeted for “Fee Freezes and Rollbacks” in their platform (NDP Platform, Page 52).  
• The actual cost of this commitment would be more than $55 million, according to TransLink’s 2009 estimates for transit fare revenue: http://www.translink.ca/en/About-TransLink/TransLink-Governance-and-Board/Meetings-and-Reports/~/media/Documents/Board/Board%202008/Board%20Meeting%2005%2012%202008/Board_2009_Budget_and_Business_Plan_Summary.ashx
• Clearly this is yet another dishonest and unfunded commitment from the NDP that they have no ability to meet.
• Furthermore, the NDP’s claim that B.C. has the highest transit fares in the country is patently false: Today’s one-zone fare in Metro Vancouver is $2.50 compared to $2.75 in Montreal and Toronto and $3.00 in Ottawa.

NDP COMMITTMENT: "The NDP will deliver 500 new buses through a $400-million cash infusion over the next three years."

THE FACTS:

• This is a re-announcement of a BC Liberal commitment.
• The BC Liberal Transit Plan includes $2.8 billion for nine Rapid Bus projects in high urban growth areas and 1,500 new buses to expand transit service across the province.   
• The NDP voted against funding for the provincial transit plan.

NDP COMMITTMENT: "Build the Evergreen Line now."

THE FACTS:

• This is a re-announcement of a BC Liberal commitment.
• The NDP committed to build the Evergreen Line in 1999.  This was patently dishonest commitment and the NDP never even started the project.
• The BC Liberals have already secured funding, opened the project office, and announced that the $1.4 billion project will begin construction next year.
• Carole James and the NDP voted against funding for the Evergreen Line and NDP Mayor Derek Corrigan has described the project as “a shameful waste of taxpayers’ money.”

NDP COMMITTMENT: $20 million to "expand the West Coast Express commuter rail by adding new cars and trains."

THE FACTS:

• This is a re-announcement of a BC Liberal commitment.
• The BC Liberals already announced a $27.7-million expansion of West Coast Express just over one month ago, which included seven additional cars and station upgrades. 
• Carole James and the NDP voted against this funding.
• It’s clear that the NDP are simply out of ideas and have now resorted to re-announcing their own re-announcements of BC Liberal commitments. The NDP transit plan is a litany of commitments they’ve already voted against, and funding promises their platform shows they have no ability to keep.  British Columbians deserve better.
  

Contact:
Shane Mills, BC Liberal Party
604-648-4258

Authorized by Jim Pipe, Financial Agent, BC Liberal Party