CONSERVATIVE Finance Critic and MLA for Kamloops Centre Peter Milobar says the NDP’s priorities are “backwards” after documents revealed a provincial contract worth up to $450,000 for comedian Charles Demers to provide content writing services, including jokes for Premier David Eby, while British Columbia faces a record $11.6 billion deficit.

“Premier Eby is telling families and small businesses to brace for cutbacks while his government quietly signs contracts worth nearly half a million dollars for a comedian,” said Milobar on Tuesday. “If the Premier wants to find something to cut, he can start with his $450,000 comedy contract. In the middle of the largest deficit in B.C.’s history, this is not only tone-deaf, it’s offensive to every taxpayer.”

According to the government’s own contract records, Demers is retained at an hourly rate of $165 for an initial two-year term valued at $150,000, with options for two one-year extensions. The maximum value of the agreement is $450,000 over four years.

Milobar said this contract exemplifies the government’s misplaced priorities highlighted in the First Quarterly Report.

“British Columbians deserve a government that puts hospital beds and affordable homes ahead of joke writers,” Milobar said. “At a time when people are leaving the province, businesses are struggling, and families are paying the price for higher costs, this government is writing cheques for comedy gigs. That says it all.”

THE Premier’s Office in an email said: “Like all contracts, there is a maximum amount allowable for each year, but only work completed is billed for. From January to June 2025 the amount billed is approximately $14,000. Mr. Demers has regularly billed under the maximum allowable amount, and it is our expectation this year will be the same, in light of efforts to find cost-savings across government.”

The breakdown for previous years: