The B.C. government's proposal to subsidize political parties with millions of dollars in taxpayer money amounts to a broken NDP promise, according to the opposition Liberals.

The NDP is pushing for every party to receive a per-vote subsidy over the next five years to help ease the transition away from corporate and union donations, which the government is poised to ban.

Critics have been quick to point out that Premier John Horgan promised, prior to the May election, that his party would form an independent coalition to explore funding options before hitting taxpayers with a bill. On Tuesday, Horgan defended the subsidy system, which is similar to others used in Ontario and Quebec, and promised it will be "gone at the end of this mandate."

"I'm owning up to what I said," Horgan told reporters Tuesday. "I don't want you to think that I'm running away from this because I'm not."

The proposed subsidies would start at $2.50 a vote and gradually decrease to $1.75, totaling $16.4 million over the next four years alone. The amount handed out in the fifth year would depend on vote totals for the 2021 election.

The NDP's proposal also earmarks $11 million to help reimburse parties for election expenses, and allows for a special committee to review the per-vote subsidies and potentially continue them past 2022.

Horgan acknowledged that possibility, but said the decision will be up to the next group of MLAs elected.

The Liberals hinged on that point in Question Period, where Liberal House Leader Mike De Jong used the recently paused Massey Tunnel replacement project to cast doubt on the government's long-term plans.

"If anyone thinks that after five years, the NDP and Green Party are going to turn off the tap on public funding of political parties, I've got a bridge in Richmond I'd like to sell them," De Jong said.

But despite their outrage, the Liberals have not said whether they would reject the per-vote payments on principle if the bill is passed. The party has pledged to try and amend the legislation to take the subsidy out, however.

Andrew Weaver's Green Party, which lauded the NDP's finance reform bill as "historic" this week, said it would accept the payments.

With files from CTV Vancouver's Bhinder Sajan