BC premier faces backlash over $450K taxpayer-funded speechwriter contract with Marxist comedian

British Columbia Premier David Eby is drawing scrutiny after documents emerged showing he could spend up to 450,000 Canadian dollars of public funds to hire a self-described Marxist comedian to help write his speeches. The contract, reportedly signed in January and set to run from February 2025 through January 2027, would pay Charles Demers 165 dollars an hour, with a maximum ceiling of 450,000 CAD, according to leaked documents. The arrangement would have Demers researching content, preparing speaking notes, developing plans and strategies, crafting news releases, digital content, reports, and op-eds to assist Eby in drafting official speeches.

Demers, 45, has described himself as a lifelong Marxist, a stance that has sparked criticism given the province’s fiscal pressures. In a 2018 CBC interview, he said, “As a teenager, I was in a radical communist sect, with a Marxist newspaper published in New York that we sold on street corners.” Critics argue the spending is ill-timed in a province contending with a record 11.6-billion-dollar deficit and ongoing calls for spending restraint. Peter Milobar, a British Columbia Conservative Party critic, said the deal was “tone-deaf” and “offensive to every taxpayer” in the context of a deficit and a purported hiring freeze.

The contract has fanned questions about process and motive. Eby’s relationship with Demers goes back to 2022, when the comedian spoke at the premier’s swearing-in ceremony, prompting questions about whether the hire was based on friendship or merit. At a news conference, Milobar repeated the charge, saying the premier’s office, “as long as it suits the premier’s needs,” appears to be spending public funds on a personal connection rather than broader policy needs. Eby defended the move, telling reporters that speechwriters are a necessary part of the job to respond to the demands of frequent public appearances and events. He added that Demers’ role extends beyond jokes to crafting entire speeches.

Demers has acknowledged the debate but has argued the money cited by critics is not a complete picture. In posted remarks, he suggested the Conservative figures were “hallucinatory” and noted that he would only receive the full 450,000 CAD if the maximum amount were invoiced for the full term of the contract. He also highlighted that he has previously written for other premiers, including John Horgan, though he said the nature of his work for Horgan was more limited to jokes.

The discussion arrives as the province contends with austerity measures and a broader public-service restructuring. The New Democratic Party in British Columbia has argued that 850 public-service jobs have been cut, with more layoffs anticipated, even as the premier’s office maintains a small team of six communications staff. Critics say the contrast between job losses and a high-cost external speechwriting agreement underscores concerns about fiscal priorities during tough economic times.

Union representatives and business groups offered mixed responses. Some union leaders argued the dispute centers on wages and public service funding rather than the choice of a contract writer, while others warned against overreacting to a single spending decision in a broader, ongoing fiscal context. A spokesman for the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade stressed that the budgetary debate extends beyond any one contract, noting that a balanced approach is needed to address both deficits and the province’s competitiveness. The controversy continues to unfold as BC officials defend the necessity of specialized communications support to manage rapid policy shifts and public messaging.

In the days since the leak, Demers has defended his expertise, arguing that his writing helps translate complex policy into accessible, public-facing messages. Eby has reiterated that the work involves more than just crafting jokes; it encompasses strategic communication and messaging across events, releases, and op-eds. The implications of the agreement remain a focal point for opposition parties and voters as British Columbia negotiates its budget and pursues policy goals amid persistent fiscal strain.