The B.C. Liberals unveiled another promise Tuesday that was never included in their February budget or their election-campaign platform.
Environment Minister Jordan Sturdy announced that Thursday’s throne speech will include a commitment to invest $50 million over five years in new charging stations for electric vehicles.
“It’s important that we expand on this strong infrastructure, because we really want to encourage electrification of our transportation fleet,” he said.
A day earlier, the Liberals revealed that Premier Christy Clark will pledge in the speech to raise welfare rates, tie disability assistance to inflation and ban big money from B.C. politics — positions she previously opposed.
It’s unlikely, however, that Clark will get a chance to act on any of the promises. The NDP and B.C. Green Party have signed a pact to defeat her minority Liberal government in a confidence vote within days of the speech.
George Heyman, NDP MLA for Vancouver-Fairview, said the Liberals are using their final throne speech after 16 years in power to try to “make up for all the failures” of their government.
“It’s too little, too late,” he said. “And in this case, it’s not even included in their recent budget.”
Sturdy said the $50-million investment in charging stations is a relatively modest expense when spread over five years.
“I’m quite confident — the finance minister’s confident — that we are going to be able to incorporate this $50 million in our $49.5 billion budget,” he said.
As to why the Liberals waited until after the campaign to announce the program, Sturdy said he’s only been in cabinet for a week.
“I only have so much time to be able to influence these outcomes,” he said. “I’m pleased to be part of this change in direction, or this additional initiative, I suppose is a better way of saying it — recognizing that this has always been part of the climate leadership plan. We’re just advancing the objectives, advancing the targets a number of years.”
Sturdy said the Liberal plan calls for 4,321 new charging stations across the province, including 110 stations offering 30-minute charges and 4,211 five-hour charging stations.
“We have to have a more robust infrastructure in order to expect people to transition onto clean-energy vehicles, especially electric vehicles,” he said.
But Heyman said the program should be part of a robust climate-action plan that the Liberals have failed to adopt.
“What we’re seeing from the Liberals in the last few days are just distraction announcements and a failure to recognize that 57 per cent of British Columbians are ready for change,” he said.
