Today, the B.C. Liberals are attempting to score political points by criticizing the government for not acting quickly enough to bring ridesharing to B.C.

But in their post-election clone speech, they abandoned their own 2017 timeline and committed to putting the issue to an all-party committee and extensive consultations:

“For British Columbians looking for other modern options to get from A to B, your government will deliver on its commitments to support car and ride sharing. While all parties in this legislature publicly stated their support for ride sharing in the recent election, your government has heard the message that legitimate implementation concerns remain. Any proposed legislation will be referred to an all-party committee for extensive consultation with the public and stakeholders, in particular regarding boundaries and insurance.”

This throne speech was supported by every B.C. Liberal MLA, including Jane Thornthwaite and Jordan Sturdy, who yesterday were outspoken in their support for the 2017 timeline.

MLA Michael Lee seems to agree with the sentiments in the throne speech. At the BC Liberal leadership debate, he said:

“It’s my belief that our party rushed too quickly to welcome Uber to British Columbia. We need to develop a road map to get this improved service for consumers that maintains passenger safety, treats everyone fairly and creates a level playing field for competition. As I said before, we need to recognize the impact of regulatory change on taxi drivers’ families while they work to meet increased consumer demand for their services.”