Two Vancouver-based federal Liberals have vowed to throw their support behind the proposed $46 million Native Youth Centre .

Vancouver Quadra Liberal MP Stephen Owen spoke to the Straight on July 24, three days before his July 27 exit from politics to take up the position of UBC external vice-president starting August 15. The former cabinet minister would not commit to "championing" the cause of the planned 50,000-square-foot centre in East Vancouver, but he said he found it "frustrating that it is not moving as quickly as it deserves to".

"I want to 'support' it," Owen said. "Intergovernmental relations is part of my mandate [at UBC]. I know the different ministers, provincially and federally, in the government, and I should have no trouble approaching them."

The Straight previously reported that the Urban Native Youth Association had involved all three levels of government in the project but so far has not received the $17 million and $11 million promised from the federal and provincial treasuries, respectively.

Sen. Larry Campbell is on the Senate aboriginal peoples committee. He told the Straight he helped provide the land for the project while he was mayor of Vancouver and has "continued to support it as a senator".

"I know that [Sen.] Gerry St. Germain , who is chair of the committee, is also interested in it, and it is on his radar too," Campbell said by phone. "The land is there, and it is a matter of getting the funding to get going on it.…I will be getting back at it again in September when I get back to Ottawa."