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–White 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’s DTES contract was abruptly cancelled.
The contract, worth up to $325,000, was awarded to Bryant — a former Ontario cabinet minister — without competition, without public disclosure, and without clearly defined deliverables, Halford said.
“This wasn’t accountability, it was damage control,” Halford said in the release. “The premier didn’t end this contract because it was wrong. He ended it because it became public.”
It triggered public backlash, media scrutiny, and unanswered questions in the Legislature during Question Period. The premier’s office now claims the “debate” over the contract had become a distraction, the Conservative release continued.
“The only distraction was the public learning what the premier tried to hide,” said Halford. “This was a political favour handed to a friend of the premier, quietly, behind closed doors, with no oversight.”
Halford is demanding the immediate release of the total amount already paid under Bryant’s 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.
“It is understood the premier was consulted during Bryant’s appointment to Legal Aid BC, which he left abruptly in 2024 for reasons still not disclosed to the public,” said Halford. “Then the premier directed a new ministry to hire him again, this time, with no public transparency or accountability.”
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.
“The contract may be gone, but the questions aren’t,” said Halford. “British Columbians are paying the price for this government’s backroom politics. This isn’t just about one contract, it’s about trust. And right now, this Premier has none.”
