A local MLA is calling on British Columbia's premier to "come clean" after a controversial Downtown Eastside consultancy contract was cut short by the provincial government.
Conservative Surrey鈥揥hite Rock MLA Trevor Halford asked NDP Premier David Eby to "come clean" in a Tuesday release, when the Conservative Party of BC said it learned Michael Bryant鈥檚 DTES contract was abruptly cancelled.
The contract, worth up to $325,000, was awarded to Bryant 鈥� a former Ontario cabinet minister 鈥� without competition, without public disclosure, and without clearly defined deliverables, Halford said.
鈥淭his wasn鈥檛 accountability, it was damage control,鈥� Halford said in the release. 鈥淭he premier didn鈥檛 end this contract because it was wrong. He ended it because it became public.鈥�
It triggered public backlash, media scrutiny, and unanswered questions in the Legislature during Question Period. The premier鈥檚 office now claims the 鈥渄ebate鈥� over the contract had become a distraction, the Conservative release continued.
鈥淭he only distraction was the public learning what the premier tried to hide,鈥� said Halford. 鈥淭his was a political favour handed to a friend of the premier, quietly, behind closed doors, with no oversight.鈥�
Halford is demanding the immediate release of the total amount already paid under Bryant鈥檚 contract, as well as any severance, penalties, or cancellation fees triggered; all communications and approval documents tied to the contract, and a status update on any work submitted to date.
鈥淚t is understood the premier was consulted during Bryant鈥檚 appointment to Legal Aid BC, which he left abruptly in 2024 for reasons still not disclosed to the public,鈥� said Halford. 鈥淭hen the premier directed a new ministry to hire him again, this time, with no public transparency or accountability.鈥�
As well as vague public terms of reference for Bryant's contract, local DTES advocates also questioned what an outsider to the area could disclose about the notorious neighbourhood compared to those who know it well. The provincial government did not publicly announce Bryant's appointment, which began in February, and only confirmed it in response to recent media reports.
鈥淭he contract may be gone, but the questions aren鈥檛,鈥� said Halford. 鈥淏ritish Columbians are paying the price for this government鈥檚 backroom politics. This isn鈥檛 just about one contract, it鈥檚 about trust. And right now, this Premier has none.鈥�
