It’s a message that’s likely to be music to the ears of Metro Vancouver mayors.
In the run-up to the B.C. provincial election, the BC Liberals had said that any new sources for transit funding would need to go to voters first.
But Sam Sullivan, the new minister responsible for TransLink, said Monday that his party will not require another referendum in order for the region to develop new funding.
“We don’t need another referendum,” said the Vancouver-False Creek MLA, who was sworn in as minister of community, sport and cultural development, and responsible for TransLink on Monday.
“Instead we will work with the Mayors’ Council to find creative, workable funding solutions that make sure these important projects move ahead quickly.”
It’s a significant departure from the party’s position before the election.
The NDP and the Green Party, meanwhile, had said they would kill the requirement for the plebiscite.
WATCH: Metro Vancouver voters overwhelmingly reject 2015 transit plebiscite
Sullivan admitted the Liberals’ position on transit funding may have contributed to the party’s poor election results in Metro Vancouver.
“It’s very clear we did not connect to voters in the urban areas of Metro Vancouver and that we did not reflect their aspirations for what they want out of a government, and this message was a hard message,” he said.
But Sullivan said the party has learned its lesson.
He said his first order of business is to repair the province’s relationships with Metro Vancouver mayors and residents.
Sullivan was one of 22 Liberals sworn into Christy Clark’s cabinet Monday, though it’s not certain how long they’ll keep those jobs.
The legislature returns for the Throne Speech on Thursday, June 22. The BC Liberals will face a confidence vote the following week, and it’s one they could lose.
- With files from Liza Yuzda