VICTORIA— Today’s public transit photo op was all about Christy Clark’s problems, not the problems of public transit users in Metro Vancouver, say the New Democrats.

“Today, all we got from the Christy Clark government was a re-announcement that will leave people in this region squeezing into SkyTrains and watching full buses go by,” said George Heyman, New Democrat MLA for Vancouver-Fairview.

“The premier and the finance minister are continually changing their story about what they will fund and when. Today, Premier Christy Clark refused to commit to anything beyond the first phase of the mayors’ plan, leaving the future of the plan uncertain.”

Heyman says that the premier is clearly hoping that today’s photo op with the prime minister will make people in Metro Vancouver forget the six years she has spent delaying needed transit investment.

“While people across the region struggled with a deteriorating public transit system, Premier Christy Clark was sparring with mayors, passing the buck, and wasting years on her failed referendum. After putting themselves in charge of public transit in the region, the B.C. Liberals have failed again and again to show leadership. They failed again today.

“Today, after letting public transit in the Metro region sit in gridlock for six years, Christy Clark jumped at a chance to make the bad headlines go away. She did just enough to get a good photo op with the prime minister, but not nearly enough to show people in the region that she will stop playing political games with the public transit system that they rely on.

“Congestion in the region is costing the B.C. economy more than a billion dollars a year – that’s why we need action, not posturing, from the Christy Clark government.”