The B.C. New Democratic Party alleges corruption and broken promises in its latest ad released this afternoon about the sale of B.C. Rail.

The 30-second spot criticizes both the circumstances surrounding the sale of the railway and Premier Gordon Campbell’s refusal to answer questions about it.

“It’s a corruption scandal we now know goes to the heart of the premier’s office,” says the ad, which flashes headlines from local media.

“The bidding process was allegedly rigged. The company that won is run by a major donor and chief fundraiser for Gordon Campbell. And Gordon Campbell won’t answer a single question about it.”

The sale of the railway reflects a broader issue of trust and broken promises on the part of the B.C. Liberals, NDP leader Carole James told a scrum of reporters when asked about the ad at a campaign event today in Surrey.

“It’s a powerful symbol of the fact that you can’t trust Gordon Campbell and the Liberals -- that they refuse to be up front with the public and they won’t tell us the truth about what really happened,” she said.

“He looked the people of British Columbia in the eye and said I will not sell B.C. Rail. And right after the election, he turned around and broke that promise.”

James then reiterated her campaign commitment to hold a public inquiry into the sale of the railway.

Garrett Zehr reports for The Tyee.