Cash-strapped Lower Mainland taxpayers wanting accountability and better management at TransLink were deemed real winners in the historic defeat of the TransLink sales tax, says the No TransLink Tax campaign and Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF).
“This is a tremendous victory for taxpayers, our underdog No TransLink Tax campaign and the Canadian Taxpayers Federation,” said Jordan Bateman, No TransLink Tax spokesperson and CTF B.C. Director. “Our campaign didn’t have millions of taxpayer dollars or fancy CEOs committing their groups to our cause – we had everyday taxpayers who simply believe TransLink wastes too much of our money to be trusted with any more of it. This is a win for all of us.”
The No TransLink Tax campaign published its donors and spending twice during the campaign, including a final report two days before voting closed. Total campaign spending for the NO side was $39,687.95, half of which came from the CTF. The YES side spent at least $6.7 million, most of which was taxpayer money.
“The YES side tried everything – spending millions in taxpayer money, crafting rules to favour their side, putting an ad on the ballot itself, and using their political offices to try and quash any dissent,” said Bateman. “They had big business, big government, big labour, big environment and big money. But they didn’t have the people – and this victory belongs to those everyday taxpayers who volunteered their time, spoke with their friends and neighbours, worked social media, made their own signs, and chipped in a few dollars to help us. They deserve better from the leadership of this region, and they let their voice be heard with their ballot.”
With the No TransLink Tax campaign over, the CTF will continue holding TransLink accountable for its actions and pushing for real change at the agency.
“It’s time for the premier, minister, mayors and TransLink board to fix this money-wasting, poorly-run agency,” said Bateman. “TransLink has lost the public’s confidence and now they have to listen to taxpayers and rebuild it properly.”
“We spent $40,000 for polling or anything like that but all the indicators seem to be pointing in our direction but, look, we’re tremendously thrilled that the tax has been defeated.”
TransLink CEO Doug Allen says the ‘No’ vote is going to cause problems. “We will face a future that will be more difficult, it’s certainly going to be more congested until we have this long-term funding sorted out.”
“This particular plebiscite, in my opinion, based on my travels over the last many months was about a tax increase and it was rejected and we accept that,” Allen adds.
Every major city in the region voted no, but there were differences in just how many people were against this sales tax.
“People don’t like tax increases, typically, they’re fairly adverse to that. Psychologically, people are what we call ‘loss adverse.’ They rather keep something they already have, which is their money, than gain something new,” says UBC Political Scientist Dave Moscrop.
He adds the emotion and anger toward TransLink were big factors in the result.
Alise Mills, a public affairs consultant, says the ‘No’ side had the gift of Translink’s history. “We’re living in a time where taxpayers want accountability, they want to be able to see where money is going and they don’t want excuses. And they’re not willing to put up with endless failures, so right away Jordan Bateman had that advantage.”
“It was very confusing. Where does this tax begin and end and why are we taxing things like toilet paper to pay for TransLink?’
Mills calls the “yes” side’s communications plan “odd,” because it started out positive but then turned to “shaming people” if they didn’t vote in favour of the tax.
