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VICTORIA — B.C.’s NDP government brought in a bill to ban corporate and union donations, but flip-flopped on a pre-election promise not to stick taxpayers with the cost of subsidizing political parties.

Premier John Horgan introduced the bill on Monday to reporters at the legislature, which sets donation limits but also creates new public subsidies for parties that total $27.5 million over the next four years, with an option to continue or eliminate them after year five.

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“This bill is what we committed to pass. This bill is what we campaigned on. This bill will come forward and be done in the days and weeks ahead,” said Horgan. “The legislation will make sure that (the May provincial election) is the last election dictated by the size of a party’s finances.”

However, Horgan told Kamloops radio station CHNL seven months ago that the public would not have to subsidize political parties in exchange for reforming the system.

“What we propose is that Elections B.C. will look across the country and around the world at the best way to make sure that only individuals are paying for our political process and election process,” he said on the radio, while rejecting the idea taxpayers would foot the bill. The Elections B.C. review he promised also wasn’t in Monday’s legislation.

Horgan refused to take questions Monday at a media briefing. Attorney-General David Eby admitted the bill was “the subject of discussion and consultation on principles with the Green party.” The NDP has a power-sharing agreement with the Greens that gives it the votes required to govern.