VICTORIA — British Columbia's Opposition Liberals are calling for New Democrat Ravi Kahlon to resign from an all-party committee reviewing ride hailing for the province because his dad holds a taxi licence.
Richmond Liberal Jas Johal said Wednesday the member from North Delta should quit the select standing committee on Crown corporations, which is currently holding meetings and accepting submissions from representatives from the taxi and ride-hailing industries.
The committee is preparing a report that would examine and make recommendations on the implementation of ride hailing, and Johal said there's a perception of conflict of interest with Kahlon on the committee.
NDP MLA Ravi Kahlon’s letter to conflict commissioner. Kahlon told me today he also has an uncle who is a Vancouver cab driver. Another uncle drove a cab in Victoria until he was injured in an accident two years ago. He said he’s not sure if they own taxi licence shares. #bcpoli pic.twitter.com/9svbnkqOud
— Mike Smyth (@MikeSmythNews) February 14, 2019
"You are making recommendations to the minister that could directly impact taxi licences and the prices of those taxi licences, which would mean his father's taxi licence," Johal said. "I think that doesn't pass the smell test in regards to a conflict. He should recuse himself."
The Liberals have not taken their concerns to B.C.'s conflict of interest commissioner, said Johal.
NDP MLA Ravi Kahlon sits on the committee making rules on ride-sharing without disclosing that his father has owned one of 234 taxi licenses for 30 years. If he ever benefited from income from that license, he has an interest and should have declared it, but he didn't - why?
— Laurie Throness (@LaurieThroness) February 14, 2019
Kahlon said his father, Navroop Singh Kahlon, has held a taxi licence in Victoria for almost 30 years, but that should not force him to quit the committee. He said his father is preparing to retire within the next two months.
Kahlon said he did not tell Transportation Minister Claire Trevena his father was in the taxi business when he was appointed to the committee last year.
Johal said he was not aware until recently that Kahlon had family ties to the taxi industry.
Adam Olsen, the Green party's committee representative, also said he did not know Kahlon's father held a taxi licence.
Kahlon said he has an open mind toward ride hailing.
The Official Opposition has sent the following letter to B.C.’s Conflict Commissioner, asking him to rule on a perceived conflict of interest involving Delta North MLA Ravi Kahlon. Letter below. #bcpoli #ridesharing pic.twitter.com/LlJ9pmNxQx
— BC Liberal Caucus (@BCLiberalCaucus) February 14, 2019
"I don't know what the rules will be in the end," he said. "Our committee is listening to all recommendations, in fact, we've been having good conversations in the committee. Again, at the end of the day, the decision is made by the minister and cabinet."
Johal said ride hailing's introduction to B.C. is moving slowly as the government launches ongoing reviews despite overwhelming public support for the services such as Uber and Lyft.
Trevena rejected Liberal suggestions that family ties could impact the review process, saying she makes final decisions not members of the committee.
"The buck stops with me," she said in the legislature. "It does not stop with the committee members."
