Each B.C. NDP MLA who reported empty work calendars or didn’t comply with B.C. Conservative Freedom of Information requests at all have refused to answer media requests to explain themselves.
The majority of Premier David Eby’s new NDP cabinet ministers reported no work, nothing to report or didn’t even bother filing anything for November, 2024 following the NDP’s narrow victory in October.
The NDP MLAs voted to give themselves a pay raise in the last year, with ministers receiving $60,000 on top of their $120,000 base salary. Ministers of State were given a $42,000 top-up, and parliamentary secretaries enjoyed $18,000 on top of their base salary.
Peter Milobar, the B.C. Conservative finance critic, told True North in an interview that he worries that by not revealing their calendars NDP members may have either gone on an early holiday – despite Christmas being around the corner – or had meetings with lobbyists that they did not disclose.
The list of unresponsive MLAs that True North contacted about their empty schedules will be included at the end of the article.
Ministers, ministers of state and parliamentary secretaries are required to release their work calendars in accordance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act within 45 days of the month in question.
“The requirements are for a minister or Parliamentary Secretary to provide their calendars,” Milobar said. “I mean, we’re not talking overly confidential and sensitive information here”
He said it’s outrageous that no NDP MLA responded to media’s “very legitimate line of questioning.”
He noted this marks a continuation of Eby’s style of government, which led him to be voted the most secretive provincial government in Canada in 2021 by the Canadian Association of Journalists.
Milobar said it’s possible the ministers were “meeting with groups” who are “advocating for God knows what.”
“It simply defies logic that for two weeks after they were sworn in as ministers of parliamentary secretaries, nobody was reaching out to try to meet with these people,” he said.
Milobar said releasing their calendars would meet the bare minimum level of accountability to the B.C. public. He said it’s essential to know what cabinet ministers and parliamentary secretaries are doing, who they are meeting, and who’s involved in decision-making.
“All of that is to try to let the public see who’s meeting with who and when,” he said. “When you’re in a decision-making capacity within government, I think that’s appropriate. And I think that, at a minimum, that’s the type of respect that the public deserves to see and understand just what’s happening somewhat behind the scenes.
He said if British Columbians were to take many of them at their word for reporting “no work” following their appointments, it would raise concerns about all individuals getting “big pay bumps” but doing no work to dig into their new positions.
“If the government has nothing to hide, out of the 44 or 45 of them, all with promotions and pay raises,” Milobar said, “perhaps they could be magnanimous enough to put one person up to be a spokesperson for them, to explain why exactly this has been handled the way it has.”
Ministers and parliamentary secretaries who did not file anything when B.C. Conservatives requested schedules via FOI request.
Lisa Beare, Minister of Education and Child Care, MLA for Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows
Spencer Chandra Herbert, Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport, MLA for Vancouver-West End
Tamara Davidson, Minister of Environment and Parks, MLA for North Coast-Haida Gwaii
Kelly Greene, Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness, MLA for Richmond-Steveston
Anne Kang, Minister of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills, MLA for Burnaby Centre
Randene Neill, Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, MLA for Powell River-Sunshine Coast
Josie Osborne, Minister of Health, MLA for Mid Island-Pacific Rim
Jodie Wickens, Minister of State for Child Care and Children and Youth with Support Needs, MLA for Coquitlam-Burke Mountain
Brittny Anderson, Minister of State for Local Governments and Rural Communities, MLA for Kootenay Central
Sunita Dhir, parliamentary secretary for International Credentials, MLA for Vancouver-Langara
Nina Krieger, parliamentary secretary for Arts and Film, MLA for Victoria-Swan Lake
Dana Lajeunesse, parliamentary secretary for Accessibility, MLA for Juan de Fuca-Malahat
Joan Phillip, parliamentary secretary for Community Development and Non-Profits, MLA for Vancouver-Strathcona
Parliamentary secretaries who filed “nothing to report” for November schedule
Susie Chant, parliamentary secretary for Seniors’ Services and Long Term Care, MLA for North Vancouver-Seymour
Paul Choi, parliamentary secretary for Asia-Pacific Trade, MLA for Burnaby South-Metrotown
Steve Morrisette, parliamentary secretary for Rural Development, MLA for Kootenay-Monashee
Amna Shah, parliamentary secretary for Mental Health and Addictions, MLA for Surrey City Centre
Harwinder Sandhu, parliamentary secretary for Agriculture, MLA for Vernon-Lumby
Debra Toporowski, parliamentary Secretary for Rural Health, MLA for Cowichan Valley
Ministers and parliamentary secretaries who reported no work-related meetings or events in November
George Anderson, parliamentary secretary for Transit, MLA for Nanaimo-Lantzville
Jennifer Blatherwick, parliamentary secretary for Gender Equity, MLA for Coquitlam-Maillardville
Darlene Rotchford, parliamentary secretary for Labour, MLA for Esquimalt-Colwood
