The Canadian Taxpayers Federation has slammed the BC NDP for throwing a lavish party for bureaucrats in Victoria while British Columbians suffer financially.
Documents obtained by the CTF revealed that the Premier's Innovation and Excellence Awards on November 26, 2024 cost nearly $118,000.
"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," CTF BC Director Carson Binda said.
"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."
Invoices included $21 cocktails, three-course dinners at $99 per person, and a $57 apiece "custom sandwich lunch buffet." In total, $75,376 was spent on food and drinks alone, with a further $15,075 for a food and beverage service charge.
The event, which "recognizes public servants on a provincial level," was held at the Victoria Conference Centre, a move Binda argued was unnecessary.
"The province could have saved $14,000 by hosting the reception five minutes away at the legislature or down the road at Government House," he said. To host the bureaucrats, the government rented out Carson Hall, Level 1, and Level 2 for the whole day.
BC's fall economic statement was published just three weeks later, showing a projected $1.5 billion addition to the deficit.
"Normal British Columbians are tightening our belts while the government spends our tax dollars on $21 cocktails and $57 sandwiches," Binda lamented. "Eby needs to show some respect for taxpayers and cut this kind of outrageous spending."
The budget, tabled earlier this month, confirmed that the deficit would be around $10.9 billion, the highest in provincial history.
"Taxpayers have a message for the premier," Binda concluded. "Stop wasting our money."