BC’s Overseas Trade Offices: Eby Expands, Rustad Overlooks Past Spending Scandals
Images: Coastal Front
As previously revealed by Coastal Front, British Columbia’s trade and investment offices in Asia have cost taxpayers more than $27 million over five years, raising questions about the return on investment of these facilities. As Premier David Eby expands this costly network, former Minister of International Trade and current MLA Teresa Wat—now a member of the Conservative Party of BC—finds herself connected to similar expenditures during her time as trade minister under then-premier Christy Clark. With Wat’s new party campaigning on fiscal responsibility, her past oversight of government spending has come under renewed focus ahead of the October 2024 election.
Under Eby’s leadership, the province has continued the previous government’s trend of pouring millions into trade offices in cities like Beijing, Tokyo, and now Ho Chi Minh City. As part of the “Trade Diversification Strategy,” Eby led a trade mission to Asia last year with the goal of growing BC businesses and strengthening supply chains. The mission included the opening of a new office in Vietnam, adding to the province’s already expensive portfolio.
Image courtesy Province of BC
However, the mission’s reception was mixed. Despite claims of success, critics labelled it a costly publicity stunt with little concrete evidence to justify the spending.
The efficacy of trade missions and offices is indeed difficult to quantify. While officials reiterate the necessity of the BC NDP’s eastbound endeavour, feelings among British Columbians with respect to the mission—which range from “useless global gallivanting” to “essential economic strategy”—are mixed.
For example, a study spearheaded by the University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business suggests Canadian trade missions have not historically increased trade. The study—titled Do Trade Missions Increase Trade?—looked at federal trade missions between 1994 and 2005, analyzing trade data from one, two, and four years after, as well as data current during the study’s publication 13 years ago. It concluded the exchange of goods and services did not significantly increase as a result of missions.
As for the offices, Coastal Front previously filed a freedom of information request seeking financial statements for BC’s trade offices across Asia. The province disclosed that it spent more than $27 million between 2019 and 2023 on maintaining these offices. However, the response came at a cost of $480, and key sections of the documents were omitted without explanation.
Wat's Role in Costly Trade Offices
While Eby’s government faces growing scrutiny, the BC Conservatives’ Teresa Wat, who recently defected from BC United, is also tied to this pattern of spending. During her time as Minister of International Trade, Wat oversaw significant spending on trade offices, including the controversial Beijing office, which cost over $380,000 a year in rent. Ben Stewart, who served as BC’s Special Representative to Asia, accrued over $1 million in living and employment expenses while working from this office, a move widely criticized as political patronage. Although Stewart was the central figure in the controversy, Wat’s role in overseeing the province’s trade strategy raises questions about her alignment with the BC Conservatives’ self-proclaimed commitment to fiscal responsibility.
The BC Conservative Party has consistently positioned itself as an advocate for reducing government waste, yet Wat’s tenure as Minister of International Trade was marked by substantial and often opaque expenditures. Ben Stewart has also publicly endorsed the BC Conservatives.
“The BC NDP’s policies have stifled economic growth and burdened our society. With leaders like Teresa Wat joining our ranks, we are more prepared than ever to bring about the common-sense change that British Columbians need. Her dedication and insight will strengthen our efforts to create a more prosperous and fair province,” said BC Conservative leader John Rustad.
Rustad’s praise of Wat’s “dedication and insight” and his promise of a “fair province” stand in contrast to her overseeing massive overseas spending ventures funded by taxpayers.
With the BC Conservatives embracing figures tied to past spending scandals and the NDP continuing costly ventures with little accountability, two things are clear: the BC NDP has shown little interest in reigning in unnecessary expenditures, and the BC Conservatives appear willing to compromise their fiscal principles for political gain.