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But giving taxpayer money to political parties remained the proposed legislation’s most contentious feature, amplified by Horgan’s contradictory pre-election comments.

Before the election, then Liberal premier Christy Clark accused Horgan of proposing political finance reforms that would ultimately leave taxpayers footing the bill. Horgan repeatedly denied that was the plan.

“The premier in all of her distortions last week, one of them was she said my preference was taxpayers pay for political parties. That’s just not the case,” Horgan told reporters on Feb. 16 at the legislature. “It’s up to the independent B.C. head of elections and the committee that will be struck to take a look at all options and bring forward the best one for B.C.”

That review, headed by Elections B.C., was also not contained in the NDP legislation Monday.

During a Feb. 9 appearance on Victoria radio station CFAX, Horgan also denied public funding for parties would occur if he was elected.

“At no time have I said that I prefer to make public dollars responsible for political parties, at no time,” he told host Al Ferraby. “The premier (is) just making stuff up. I believe we need to get big money out of politics.”

Horgan said Tuesday those comments were made when he thought the NDP would win a majority government. Instead, the NDP signed a power-sharing deal with the B.C. Green party and formed a minority government.

“I’m owning up to what I said before the campaign; I don’t want you to think that I’m running away from this because I’m not,” said Horgan. “But it is not what you are making it out to be. This is a transition fund and will be gone at the end of this mandate.”