News Release: Taxpayers release New Year’s resolutions for B.C. government
VANCOUVER B.C.: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is calling on B.C. Premier David Eby to set three resolutions for his government in 2026:
- Stop wasting money
- Follow information laws and end the information tax
- Bring back the auditor general for local governments
“Eby told his ministers to find savings for taxpayers, but instead they’ve slapped taxpayers with spending scandal after spending scandal,” said Carson Binda, B.C. Director for the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. “Eby and his cabinet need to rein in spending on travel, liquor and other wasteful excess.”
Spending scandals that came to light over the past year include: a minister expensing taxpayers $6,600 for a limousine service during a four-day, self-described “junket” in Boston; Eby spending $118,000 on awards dinner for bureaucrats, including $57 per person sandwiches and $21 cocktails; and, Eby billing taxpayers $189,000 for the production and development of three “wood leather” soccer balls.
“Taxpayers only found out about those scandals because of freedom of information requests and this government has made it expensive and difficult to file those requests,” Binda said. “Democracy dies in darkness and Eby is doing everything he can to prevent sunlight from sanitizing his spending scandals.”
The B.C. government changed provincial freedom of information laws when Eby was attorney general in 2021. Eby’s changes allow the government to charge an automatic fee when taxpayers, journalists or advocates ask the government for documents. Eby’s government also fails to respond to requests as required by the law — it “is systematically failing to abide by the law,” according to former information commissioner Michael McEvoy.
“Accountability has also taken a hit at the municipal level because the provincial government eliminated the auditor general for local governments,” Binda said. “Time and time again, taxpayers have learned about spending scandals at cities and regional districts that may have been caught sooner if the government brought back the municipal auditor general.”
Taxpayers delivered a petition, signed by over 10,000 British Columbians, to the legislature in 2025, calling on the government to reinstate the municipal auditor general. The new year is the perfect opportunity for the Eby government to turn the page when it comes to accountability and spending taxpayer money responsibly.