Vaughn Palmer: NDP love of sneakiness and evasion on display as legislature wraps up

B.C. Finance Minister Brenda Bailey leaves the chamber of the legislature in Victoria, on Monday, May 25, 2026. Photo by Chad Hipolito /POSTMEDIA

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VICTORIA — As the New Democrats wrapped up the spring session of the legislature this week, two senior cabinet ministers delivered abject lessons in the David Eby government’s sneaky, evasive method of conducting the public’s business.

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First into the classroom was Finance Minister Brenda Bailey.

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During debate on the budget for her ministry on Tuesday, B.C. Conservative MLA Peter Milobar pressed Bailey for details on the cost of hosting the World Cup.

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The last update, delivered a year ago, came with a price tag of up to $624 million, almost $90 million for each of the seven soccer games.

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The premier had promised to release a revised budget by the end of May. Surely the finance minister would already have the number at her fingertips.

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Bailey didn’t want to say.

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The government message controllers had already decided that Tourism Minister Anne Kang will release the information on Friday, the day after the legislature adjourned.

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The finance minister was a prisoner of the centrally dictated media management strategy.

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After much back and forth, Milobar pinned her down with an either/or question. Either she knew the cost and could give the house that number today. Or she still didn’t know. Which was it?

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“I suggest there is a third option,” replied Bailey. “Which is the minister (meaning her) does know and is deferring to the minister of tourism, arts and culture to give their update, which they have planned in the coming days.”

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So she did know the cost but wasn’t prepared to tell the legislature while MLAs still had the opportunity to ask questions.

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“I think it’s very reasonable to allow the minister of tourism to do the update that they have planned,” Bailey added. “They’ve been working diligently on this file, and for me to take something away from this work I don’t think is appropriate.”

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In deferring to the government’s media-management strategy, Bailey wasn’t showing any respect for the legislature. The detailed scrutiny of ministry budgets and spending plans is one of the central purposes of the place.

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A finance minister who says, in effect, “I know the numbers but I’m not going to tell you” is an embarrassment to her office.

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That was Tuesday. Next day came a news release from Health Minister Josie Osborne, with “a statement on life-saving services in downtown Vancouver.”

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The release was a classic example of the government communications rule that says, if there’s negative news, bury it as far down in the release as possible.

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On Wednesday, it was in the third sentence of the fourth paragraph release.

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“Vancouver Coastal Health will not proceed with the overdose-prevention site at 900 Helmcken St. at this time, and there is currently no planned date for opening.”