B.C. Premier David Eby won the Provincial Government Waste Award from the Canadian Taxpayers Federation for wasting $354,000 on “wood-leather soccer balls.” 

“Six-figure soccer balls get a red card from taxpayers,” said Carson Binda, B.C. Director for the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. “B.C. is stuck with the most wasteful provincial government in the country.” 

The CTF’s Teddy Waste Awards are an annual event that recognizes the worst examples of government waste from across the country. 

Eby won the award for spending $354,000 on three “wood-leather soccer balls” that were used for a photo op. Eby and Agriculture Minister Lana Popham posed with the prop soccer balls at the Osaka expo in Japan. 

British Columbia was also well represented in the municipal waste category. The city of Richmond was nominated for spending $78,000 to send seven bureaucrats on a junket to Spain and Switzerland. 

“Why did Richmond taxpayers have to send eight city bureaucrats to deliver one quick speech?” Binda said. “There’s no reason imaginable for city staff to bill taxpayers for five-star hotels in Europe.” 

Other winners from this year’s Teddy Waste Awards include: 

• Federal Government Category — The Canada Revenue Agency for giving the correct answer just 17 per cent of the time 
• Municipal Government Category — The City of Toronto for spending $2,000 on a plaque for a dead raccoon 
• Lifetime Achievement Award — The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council for blowing taxpayer money on bizarre grants. 

All of the winners and nominees are available HERE

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