B.C. Liberals Broke the Rules, Direct-Awarded $150,000 Federal Anti-Tobacco Contract to Friend and Insider Firm

VICTORIA—The B.C. Liberals have broken the government’s own rules for open tendering by direct-awarding a federally-funded anti-tobacco contract worth $150,000 to TBWA, the B.C. Liberal Party’s campaign advertising firm in the run up to the provincial election.

Funded by Health Canada, the contract was part of a province-wide advertising campaign valued at over $800,000.

“Internal government documents clearly show that the B.C. Liberals broke the rules, canceled a large tender, and redirected an advertising contract to their political friends at TBWA, potentially jeopardizing a federally-funded health program,” said Bruce Ralston, Opposition critic for Finance.

TBWA produced the B.C. Liberal Party’s advertising campaign for both the 2001 and 2005 elections, as well as the government-funded, pre-election ‘Bringing out the Best’ campaign. President Andrea Southcott is a close friend of Gordon Campbell and was a key member of the B.C. Liberal Party campaign committee, which directed the B.C. Liberal’s election strategy in 2005.  TBWA has been awarded over $3.6 million in government contracts since 2001.

Internal documents obtained by the Opposition show that, following a telephone call from TBWA, an open tender contract posted to B.C. Bid was cancelled and instead direct-awarded to the Liberal ad agency. The direct-award was authorized by senior officials in the Public Affairs Bureau, despite non-partisan advice that any contract valued over $100,000 must be tendered through an open process.

“This is a clear-cut case of political interference, where the Premier’s Office -- by way of the Public Affairs Bureau -- broke the rules to benefit a friend and insider,” said Ralston. “TBWA phoned PAB and complained when ministry officials followed the rules, and the B.C. Liberals caved.”

“This advertising campaign should have been about helping young people quit smoking,” said Adrian Dix, Opposition critic for Health. “But Gordon Campbell decided to make it about rewarding his closest friends.”

The NDP is calling on the Premier to investigate the direct-award. “British Columbians deserve a full accounting of how and why this happened,” said Ralston. “The time for secrecy is over. The public deserves answers.”

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