VICTORIA — As the New Democrats concluded the spring session of the legislature this week, two senior cabinet ministers provided stark examples of the David Eby government's secretive and evasive approach to managing public affairs.
Finance Minister Withholds World Cup Costs
During budget debates on Tuesday, BC Conservative MLA Peter Milobar pressed Finance Minister Brenda Bailey for details on the cost of hosting the World Cup. The last update, delivered a year ago, estimated costs at up to $624 million, nearly $90 million per game. The premier had promised a revised budget by the end of May, yet Bailey hesitated to provide the figure.
Bailey eventually admitted she knew the cost but was deferring to Tourism Minister Anne Kang, who would release the information on Friday, the day after the legislature adjourned. This strategy prevented MLAs from questioning the numbers while in session. Milobar forced an either/or question: either she knew the cost or she didn't. Bailey responded with a third option, stating she knew but was deferring to the tourism minister. This evasion drew sharp criticism from Palmer, who called it an embarrassment to her office.
Health Minister's Release Buries Bad News
The following day, Health Minister Josie Osborne issued a news release about life-saving services in downtown Vancouver. The release followed the government's communication rule of burying negative news. In the third sentence of the fourth paragraph, it revealed that Vancouver Coastal Health would not proceed with the overdose-prevention site at 900 Helmcken Street, with no planned opening date. Palmer characterized this as a classic example of evasive communication.
These incidents underscore what Palmer describes as the NDP's love of sneakiness and evasion, prioritizing media management over transparency and accountability in the legislature.
