Why Would the BC Liberals Revive Their Own Patronage Controversy?

The BC Liberals still seem to be having a hard time figuring out life in opposition.

On Monday, MLA Ben Stewart hurled an outraged tweet.

“Just confirmed Premier Horgan is shutting down ALL BC Trade offices in Asia immediately! Is it budget pressures or anti Free Enterprise policies shutting the door on 40% of Canada’s exports to Asia? Why is story being buried at New Years?”

One problem is that the claim is not really true. (Another is that capitalizing Free Enterprise is just weird.)

But that aside, why on Earth would a competent opposition party let Stewart take the lead?

The Kelowna West MLA is best known for a controversial — or scandalous, depending on whom you ask — appointment as British Columbia’s investment and trade commissioner to Asia.

Why controversial?

First, because the job was created for Stewart less than five months after he quit to give former premier Christy Clark — defeated by David Eby in Vancouver-Point Grey — a safe seat. He resigned weeks after retaining the seat in the 2013 election.

Second, because the BC Liberals hadn’t seen any need for the position in their first 12 years in government — until Clark needed a safe seat.

Third, because the position wasn’t advertised, and Stewart had no obvious qualifications. He’d run the family-owned Quail’s Gate Wineries, but had no real experience in trade development. (Clark suggested it was about whom Stewart knew, not what he knew. He’s “on close terms with everyone in cabinet, including myself,” she offered.)

Fourth, because financial advisor Andrew Johns released a report that found Stewart’s appointment was costing taxpayers $3 million a year. Stewart was paid $150,000, but pension, housing and other costs added up to $342,000 a year. Fancy rented offices and contracted support services in China added costs. The report found “no clear benefit for the citizens of the province.”

And finally, because when Stewart resigned in December 2016, the BC Liberal government didn’t replace him, despite the supposed vital importance of the position.

So why would Andrew Wilkinson and the BC Liberals decide Stewart was the best MLA to take the lead in attacking the government on this issue?

Richmond-Queensborough MLA Jas Johal supported Stewart on Twitter. “Asia is home to 60% of humanity? Diversifying our customer base is just smart business. What is the NDP thinking?”

So why not let Johal champion the issue? Or Steve Thomson, who shares responsibilities as critic for citizens’ services and trade with Stewart?

Unless Stewart was freelancing, as suggested by the official silence from the BC Liberals on the changes. Which raises questions about the unity and organization of the party caucus, already split on issues like abortion.

Bruce Ralston, minister of jobs, trade and technology, responded to Stewart’s tweet. He said the offices weren’t being shut down. They were being moved out of rented offices and into Canadian consulates and embassies. That would, Ralston said in a statement, reduce costs and bring greater coordination with federal government trade efforts.

In an emailed response to questions Thursday, the ministry said the changes result from a review of trade and investment services in May 2019 and the decision was made in the fall. All 13 Asian offices will be moved by April 1, the statement said.*

“This will help us broaden our network, save money that we can redeploy to new markets and more closely align with the significant resources the federal government has for international business development,” the statement said.

It’s hard to know how effective the trade offices are. The latest ministry annual report says the province’s 17 overseas offices “facilitated” 170 export deals worth $168 million. “The total value of foreign direct investment influenced by ministry programs during 2018/19 was more than $1.5 billion.”

But anyone who has been in management recognizes words like “facilitated” and “influenced” as lacking any real substance.

It’s perhaps noteworthy that the government has come to the same conclusion Johns reached in his 2017 critique of Stewart’s China post.

“Arguably, Stewart’s office could have been based in Canada’s foreign missions locations to minimize operational and capital costs,” he wrote. “This would not only improve the level of cohesion with the Federal Government, it could have been more effective in projecting the Province’s interest abroad.”

And that the BC Liberals’ response reveals a party struggling to get its act together after more than two years in opposition.

*Story updated on Jan. 3, 2019 at 8:50 a.m. to include a statement from the Ministry of Jobs, Trade and Technology.