A $118K awards ceremony for public servants in British Columbia sparks controversy
The BC Liberals started the Premier’s Innovation and Excellence Awards 20 years ago, and the BC Public Service now hosts it. The most recent one, held in November, cost nearly $118,000; the province spent over $75,000 on food and beverages for the event, with meals costing $99 per plate; though it was mostly a cash bar, some drinks were purchased, including a few hundred dollars’ worth of wine and cocktails for volunteers; and the Victoria Conference Centre cost $14,000.
The figures were revealed after the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) filed a Freedom of Information request. “When you’re running a record-breaking deficit blowing past your own projections you need to be looking for real savings for taxpayers,” said Carson Binda, director of CTF B.C. The awards were made just months before the province was expected to push its debt to $209 billion within three years, according to the province’s 2025 budget.
Critics say they support recognizing workers but in a more financially responsible manner. “I think it’s appropriate to celebrate excellence,” said Finance Minister Brenda Bailey. “We can’t do it in a way that’s extravagant but this is 800 people getting dinner,” she said.
“We want to celebrate the best and the brightest to ensure we’re doing the best by British Columbians,” Bailey added, adding that the public service is full of “innovative people.” Conservative MLA Gavin Dew also voiced his opinion on the cost, pointing out that the government is asking everyone else to tighten their belts, which he said is “completely contradictory to the message we’re hearing from government.”