Eby blew $118K on lavish taxpayer-funded party for bureaucrats

A taxpayers advocacy group is urging British Columbia Premier David Eby to tighten his spending after it was revealed that he spent almost $118,000 on a party for provincial bureaucrats amid...

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A taxpayers advocacy group is urging British Columbia Premier David Eby to tighten his spending after it was revealed that he spent almost $118,000 on a party for provincial bureaucrats amid a soaring deficit.

Documents obtained by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation reveal that the B.C. NDP government spent at least $117,841 hosting the Premier’s Innovation and Excellence Awards on Nov. 26, 2024, in Victoria, B.C.

The federation said the documents show that the reception “recognizes public servants on a provincial level.”

“Taxpayers have a message for the premier: Stop wasting our money,” said B.C. director for the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Carson Binda.

The event’s invoice included significant costs such as $14,000 for room rentals, a $15,000 food and service charge, $7.50 per bottle of flavoured sparkling water, $99 per person for a three-course dinner, and more.

“It’s crazy to spend more than a hundred grand on a party for bureaucrats when British Columbia has a huge deficit and families are lining up at food banks in record numbers,” said Binda. “Eby obviously isn’t trying hard enough to find ways to save money if he can’t even say no to a runaway party bill like this.”

The province’s previous 2024/25 deficit soared to $9.4 billion, a $1.5 billion increase from its initial record-breaking 2024 budget forecast.

The debt in B.C. also rose to $130 billion, surpassing previous forecasts by $1.4 billion.

British Columbians will pay $4.3 billion annually in interest on the provincial debt, amounting to $757 per resident.

A Fraser Institute study predicted that B.C. would have the most per-person debt in the country by the end of the decade and the third-highest debt-to-GDP ratio.

The deficit was revealed in the province’s Fall Economic Statement, three weeks after the party took place.

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation said the province could have saved $14,000 by hosting the reception at the legislature or down the road at Government House.

“Normal British Columbians are tightening our belts while the government spends our tax dollars on $21 cocktails and $57 sandwiches. Eby needs to show some respect for taxpayers and cut this kind of outrageous spending,” said Binda.

British Columbia NDP’s historic deficits previously led to three consecutive credit rating downgrades from S&P Global Ratings. The province’s credit rating fell most recently from AA to AA-, putting it on par with countries like Slovenia and Estonia. Another credit rating hit would put B.C. on the same level as Kuwait and Bermuda at A+.

Eby’s office did not respond to True North’s requests for comment.