The BC Conservatives have slammed Premier David Eby for hiring a pricey comedian to help him add more humour to his speeches.Records show self-proclaimed "socialist" Charles Demers has been retained at $165 per hour for an initial two-year term valued at $150,000. There are options for two one-year extensions that, if added, would bring the total value of the contract to $450,000.The move comes as British Columbia faces a record-breaking $11.6 billion deficit.."Premier Eby is telling families and small businesses to brace for cutbacks while his government quietly signs contracts worth nearly half a million dollars for a comedian," BC Conservative MLA and Finance Critic Peter Milobar wrote in a statement. "If the premier wants to find something to cut, he can start with his $450,000 comedy contract."He argued that, "in the middle of the largest deficit in BC's history, this is not only tone-deaf, it's offensive to every taxpayer."."British Columbians deserve a government that puts hospital beds and affordable homes ahead of joke writers," Milobar added. "At a time when people are leaving the province, businesses are struggling, and families are paying the price for higher costs, this government is writing cheques for comedy gigs. That says it all."He pointed out that aside from the massive deficit, debt servicing has grown to the highest level in 20 years, capital spending for hospital construction has been delayed, 51,000 youth are unemployed, and over 70,000 people have fled BC..Finance minister reveals BC deficit to balloon to $11.6 billion in 2025-26.Aside from being a stand-up comedian, Demers is an author, playwright, speechwriter, and actor. His profile on Greystone Books describes him as "a speechwriter (and joke-writer) for British Columbia Premier David Eby."He even spoke at Eby's swearing-in ceremony in 2022..During a press conference on Tuesday, Eby defended the move, pointing out that he has so many speeches to deliver he can't possibly be expected to write them all himself. He noted that as of now, Demers has only been paid $14,000..Eby has made a point of including at least one joke in nearly every speech he delivers, though it's unclear exactly which ones Demers wrote for him..When discussing BC's response to American tariffs, for example, the nearly seven foot tall premier said he was ready to "fight back, elbows up," adding, "I say that recognizing that my default elbow setting is already pretty high.".During the 2024 campaign, Eby told a story about getting stung by a bee, with the punchline of the joke being, "We actually have something in common. We both love our queens!" He then proceeded to kiss his wife as the crowd cheered.
