LAST week on Thursday, Attorney General David Eby revealed that former BC Liberal Transportation Minister Todd Stone tried to give away an ICBC building and land worth $3 million to the Automotive Retailers Association (ARA).

The NDP say that in the transcript of the 2015 speech, Stone’s intent is clear:

“I am pleased to announce I have directed ICBC to transfer their training facility from their ownership and control to the ownership and control of the ARA. That training facility has an assessed value last year of just under three million dollars. So ICBC will be transferring that to the ARA as part of this new arrangement.”

But last week on Friday, BC Liberal Leader Andrew Wilkinson claimed it was “nonsense” when challenged by CHNL host Howie Reimer:

Reimer: “I think the quote was, the previous Liberal government was trying to give away ICBC buildings to lobbyists.”

Wilkinson: “Well that’s just nonsense.” (Audio)

• On what basis is Wilkinson denying it?
• Did he have a conversation with Todd Stone after Eby surfaced this transcript?
• Does Stone deny it?
• As a cabinet member at the time, was Wilkinson aware at any point of Stone’s plan?

BC NDP MLA Ravi Kahlon said on Monday: “Even at a time they knew ICBC was going to have to raise rates, Andrew Wilkinson and the BC Liberals put their industry friends ahead of everyday British Columbians. Every step of the way, Wilkinson and the BC Liberals put the interests of lawyers and the auto sector first and made people pay the price. Now, Wilkinson is making stuff up to try to cover his tracks. British Columbians deserve better.”

ON Tuesday the NDP said that new video shows Wilkinson was making stuff up when he denied Stone once tried to give away a $3 million ICBC building and land to lobbyists.

The video shows Stone at the ARA event. (Video)

Full video of Stone’s speech is available here.

Kahlon said: “When ICBC was in trouble, the BC Liberals chose industry lobbyists and made everybody else pay for it. Now Andrew Wilkinson has been caught making stuff up to cover his tracks again. If Andrew Wilkinson and the BC Liberals had spent less time misleading people on ICBC and more time fixing it, British Columbians wouldn’t still be paying the price today.”