VANCOUVER, B.C.: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is calling on Premier David Eby to rein in wasteful spending, as exclusively obtained FOI records show the government spending $165,000 on a coffee delivery stunt. 

“Eby dreamed up the most expensive way imaginable to hand out free coffee,” said Carson Binda, B.C. Director for the CTF. “The provincial government is drowning in debt and borrowing billions while the government wastes money on America’s most expensive cup of coffee.” 

The CTF forced disclosure through the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner because the government and its consulting firm initially refused to release the receipts. 

The B.C. government spent $164,900 delivering 1,000 cups of coffee to health-care workers in the United States. That works out $164 for every cup of coffee. 

“It’s hard to imagine how the B.C. government could have spent that much money on coffee,” said Binda. “Even if you pick the most luxurious options, you could still save money.”

The B.C. government could have bought an event party tent ($799) and a commercial espresso machine ($23,299). Then it could have bought 1,000 Stanley coffee mugs for $39,000. And it could have rented a Lincoln Navigator for a week ($1,103) to deliver it all. Even with all of that, the government still would have saved almost a hundred thousand dollars.

The province could have picked a less do-it-yourself option as well. It could have ordered 1,000 Venti Cinnamon Dolce Lattes ($6.95 each) and 1,000 tomato and mozzarella on focaccia sandwiches ($7.45) from Starbucks and given a 50 per cent tip and taxpayers would have saved $142,400. 

The bill for the province’s coffee delivery spree cost more than the entire provincial tax bills for thirty British Columbia families earning $100,000 a year.

“How would the premier feel about door knocking a whole neighbourhood and telling those families he spent their whole tax bill to give away coffee for a day?” said Binda. “The province needs to stop rubberstamping runaway spending and start saving money.”  

Two B.C. government employees signed off on the spending, Blaine Ferguson, an executive director in the Ministry of Health, and Kyla Kelch, a marketing director for Government Communications and Public Engagement.