When Transportation Minister Claire Trevena ordered a review of the taxi industry this week, she added to a growing list of studies, reports and consultations commissioned by the new NDP government.
In the three months since taking office, the NDP have pledged to take an in-depth look at everything from money-laundering and marijuana to forest fires, floods and the Site C dam.
Premier John Horgan argues that the studies are crucial for a government that failed to win a majority of seats and now relies on three Green MLAs to remain in power.
“I believe that we are taking steps to ensure that when we make decisions in a minority parliament, that we’ve consulted as broadly as possible,” he said.
The Liberals, however, have taken to mocking the growing number of reviews, citing them as evidence of a government afraid to act.
Opposition Leader Rich Coleman referred to the NDP this week as a “government of broken promises, of delays, reviews, dragging their feet. It’s a government, actually, in gridlock.”
Surrey-White Rock MLA Tracy Redies later accused the NDP of being “somewhat loath” to make a decision.
“When the going gets tough, the government seems to run for an outside consultant,” she said, before rattling off a list of ongoing reviews.
Horgan defended his approach, telling reporters that British Columbians want their government to develop sound public policy: “It’s rich to have the current leader of the official Opposition stand up and say: ‘Why aren’t you bulldozing over people like we used to do?’ Well, they’re on that side because they used to bulldoze over people.”
The issue flared in the legislature this week as the Liberals hammered the NDP for delaying a decision on ride-hailing services in favour of further study of the taxi industry.
Horgan, however, said the former Liberal government had five years to act, but waited until just before the May election to promise that Uber and Lyft would be in B.C. by Christmas.
He noted that the Liberals then backtracked following the election. In their final throne speech, before being defeated by the NDP and Greens in June, the Liberal government admitted that there remain “legitimate implementation concerns” about ride-hailing.
“Any proposed legislation will be referred to an all-party committee for extensive consultation with the public and stakeholders,” the speech said.
Liberal MLA Jane Thornthwaite distanced herself from that speech Thursday, as she chastised the NDP for moving too slowly.
“I campaigned and my colleagues campaigned on our platform of bringing ride-sharing to British Columbia in 2017,” she said.
Asked if the Liberals’ throne speech in June doesn’t count, she said: “Not in that regard, no.”
Thornthwaite now says the ride-hailing file has been studied enough. “We’ve going back and forth and back and forth and, in my opinion, it’s time to get on with it.”
B.C. Green Party Leader Andrew Weaver, meanwhile, introduced a private member’s bill Thursday to establish ride-hailing services in B.C. It was the third time Weaver has tabled the bill, but it’s unclear whether it will get called for debate. Private member’s bills rarely pass, and Horgan has expressed skepticism that Weaver’s effort will address all aspects of the complex issue.
