Fassbender in charge of TransLink after cabinet shuffle in B.C.

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B.C. Premier Christy Clark has handed the intractable question of how to fund transit infrastructure in the Vancouver region to the trusted cabinet minister who solved one of her last difficult dilemmas.

In a surprise move Thursday, Ms. Clark announced Peter Fassbender will now preside over TransLink after moving from education, where he secured a deal with teachers last year after a six-week strike.

The move to take the file from Transportation Minister Todd Stone was a notable part of a larger cabinet shuffle and comes after the plebiscite on a proposed 0.5-per-cent regional sales-tax increase was soundly defeated by voters in results announced earlier this month. The No side won with 62 per cent, compared with 38 per cent for the Yes side.

The failure of the plebiscite has produced fissures in the council of mayors that oversees transit in the region and it prompted mayors in Vancouver and Surrey to speculate about going it alone as they respectively seek to build a subway system and light-rail transit. The province has agreed to provide one-third of the funding for projects, and talks are under way with Ottawa for another third, leaving mayors to find their one-third share.

Mr. Fassbender, who dealt with TransLink issues as mayor of the Lower Mainland municipality of the City of Langley, later told reporters he would keep an open mind, but move quickly to consult and figure out how to reform the organization that manages transit and transportation in the Vancouver region.

TransLink spending and corporate perks were among the issues some say shifted voters against approving the 0.5-per-cent regional sales tax during a plebiscite Ms. Clark promised during the 2013 election campaign.

Mr. Fassbender, whose specific new title is Minister of Community, Sport, Cultural Development and Minister Responsible for TransLink, said he supported the plebiscite, but the result made it clear work needs to be done to restore public confidence in TransLink's fiscal management and direction.

However, Mr. Fassbender said he has no specific plans on how to proceed beyond working with the mayors on these issues. "I don't walk in with either a mandate from the Premier to do anything specific other than find a solution that stops the challenges we've had," he said.

"We've heard some very clear messages, so my mandate – and what the Premier has asked me to do – is to roll up my sleeves, work with the mayors in the region and the other stakeholders."

Mr. Fassbender said his past comments as a mayor dealing with TransLink were not necessarily a blueprint for his current plans. "I am not going to lay out any absolutes this early in the game," he said.

Mr. Fassbender said Mr. Stone had done a great job and that he wouldn't take any dramatic new direction on the file. "There may be some of the nuances that I have dealt with in the past that will help me provide context," he said.

Ms. Clark's move takes TransLink out of the hands of Mr. Stone, who saw through Ms. Clark's plebiscite commitment. "He's lost a big chunk of responsibility," NDP critic George Heyman said of Mr. Stone. "I think he reached the end of his rope."

Mr. Fassbender's appointment was hailed by Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson and Surrey Mayor Linda Hepner, chair and vice chair, respectively, of the Metro Vancouver mayors' council.

Mr. Robertson said a TransLink-responsible minister recognized the province's key role in reforming the organization and enabling investments in transit.

Mr. Robertson noted, in a statement, that he was impressed with Mr. Fassbender's "strong understanding of transportation pressures" in the region based on their work together on the Mayors' Council for Regional Transportation.

Ms. Hepner said, in a statement, she had had a "long and very positive" working relationship with the incoming minister. "As the former mayor of Langley City, he brings the added and welcome perspective of the critical needs of our communities."

Ms. Clark was not available for comment Thursday.