BC NDP government staffer boots CTF director from budget conference centre

Sims, a native of BC and veteran journalist before becoming a taxpayers’ advocate, says she was in a spot where she had been directed to sit by Finance Ministry staff quietly working (and probably stylishly dressed) for an hour and a half before she was booted.

An Eby government staffer just kicked me out of the Conference Centre in Victoria

I wasn’t even in the budget lockup

I was waiting for my colleague on a couch that department of finance staff escorted me to & told me I could sit on & work while waiting

Ninety minutes later a…

— Kris Sims (@kris_sims) February 22, 2024

“I’ve covered budgets across Canada for 25 years & other governments don’t behave this way, across party lines,” Sims posted.

She said the whole building was a lock up now 🤨

I was in a lobby, escorted there by a finance department staffer

I was NOT in the room

I had NO budget documents

I wasn’t even using the Wifi

I was minding my own business & working on Alberta stuff

I’ve covered budgets…

— Kris Sims (@kris_sims) February 22, 2024

According to the British Columbia Ministry of Finance, taxpayer-supported debt in BC is projected to be $71.9 billion by the end of the 2024 fiscal year.