VANCOUVER, B.C.: The No TransLink Tax campaign today highlighted shocking comments from Yes side leading strategist Bill Tieleman, which gave TransLink a free pass on accountability for its wasteful ways, and hinted that the TransLink tax could go up in the future.

In an interview Dec. 19 with CKNW’s Mike Eckford, Tieleman stated: “They [TransLink] aren’t really responsive. It’s our money, we want to make sure it’s spent the right way but you can’t punish them into doing the right thing. They are not responsive to us.”

“It’s shocking to see the Yes side continually lay down on the issue of TransLink accountability,” said No TransLink Tax spokesperson Jordan Bateman. “Instead of fighting to make TransLink executives ‘responsive’ to taxpayers’ concerns, or to hold them responsible for the millions and millions they have wasted, the Yes side has become TransLink’s biggest apologists. Their message: just close your eyes, ignore TransLink’s record, and cut ’em a bigger cheque.”

In the same interview (available in CKNW’s audio vault, Dec. 19, 3 p.m. hour), Tieleman confirmed that future provincial governments could raise the TransLink tax: “Any government can raise taxes if they wish and they have in the past,” Tieleman said. “Governments change taxes all the time.”

“That should send a chill down the spine of every hard working taxpayer in the region,” said Bateman. “With news that TransLink hasn’t properly costed this plan, and given TransLink’s track record of overruns and mismanagement, it seems like a lock that this tax hike won’t be enough to cover the mayors’ plan.”