PROVINCE MUST COME CLEAN ON CUP COSTS
If NDP truly wanted to be transparent, non-disclosure agreement wouldn't exist
Back when David Eby was making a name for himself as a political activist, he called for openness and transparency about the costs and obligations of B.C. staging the 2010 Winter Olympics.
Would the now-premier Eby apply the same standard to B.C. hosting the World Cup and release the full, unredacted agreements with FIFA, soccer's international governing body?
When I asked Eby this week, he began by saying it was “an easy question” for him to answer. Then he hedged.
“To the extent that the law allows, and our agreements with FIFA allow, we will release all of our agreements,” said Eby. “Absolutely.” Absolutely — in what sense? Reporters have been asking about the deal ever since Eby's predecessor, John Horgan, had a conversion on the road to Zurich, where FIFA is headquartered.
Horgan rejected bidding for the World Cup in 2018, saying FIFA wanted “a blank cheque.” Then he reversed himself, claiming the once rapacious organization was “no longer looking for the sea and sky in terms of its ask from host cities.”
What was the difference between the two asks? What did B.C. offer to secure Vancouver's status as a host city?
Daphne Bramham of The Vancouver Sun tried two years ago to get a copy of the host city agreement. She was rebuffed.
Bob Mackin of Business in Vancouver went after the bid agreement, too. He got back 117 mostly blank pages.
Richard Zussman of Global TV has tried several times to unlock what tipped the balance for Vancouver over rival city Edmonton. He's been told nothing.
I've tried without success to get a full copy of the economic report backstopping the NDP government claim that hosting the World Cup will generate over $1 billion in economic benefits.
Among its more dubious claims, the model forecasts that in the five years after 2026, one million people will visit B.C. who would NOT have done so without the staging of the World Cup.
Would the government at least agree to release the full and unredacted economic model, I asked the premier?
“It's certainly important for British Columbians to understand — perhaps especially in relation to marquee events like the FIFA World Cup — how public dollars are being used, to understand the basis on which government decisions are made, including economic analysis and the agreements that are entered into with these supporting bodies.”
He paused to acknowledge how a great deal of the interest derives from “the history of groups that run these marquee sporting events.”
From which, one might speculate that the premier has seen FIFA Uncovered, Netflix's “unflinching, shocking and sobering” documentary on FIFA, or at least been given a summary of its contents.
Eby continued:
“My commitment to British Columbians is that we will provide them with, to the extent that our agreements with FIFA allow and subject to any other restriction that we may be under imposed by a third party, the full economic reports, the agreements, our budgets and expected expenditures, as well as an accounting of costs after the event as well.”
He'll be open “to the extent that our agreements with FIFA allow?” And transparent “subject to any other restriction that we may be under imposed by a third party?”
The province negotiates and signs these non-disclosure agreements with FIFA and with third parties.
If its hands are tied, it is because the government wants them to be tied.
FIFA may have an interest in keeping the terms confidential to limit the bargaining position of the next host country lining up for the World Cup shakedown.
But FIFA has already locked in its piece of the action, estimated at $15 billion in revenues for the entire tournament, not a penny to be shared with the host jurisdictions.
B.C. is on the hook for the still unspecified costs for hosting seven games, offset by the alleged benefits set out in that still-secret economic modelling report.
The boosters of such events routinely overstate the benefits and understate the cost.
Premier Gordon Campbell initially claimed that the Olympics would “pay for themselves.” They cost billions.
He put out a report that claimed the 2010 Games would generate $10 billion in benefits and create 250,000 jobs over 35 years.
By that reckoning, B.C. is still surfing the economic wave generated by a two-week sporting event staged 14 years ago. Who knew?
While guessing at the costs and benefits of hosting the World Cup, I came across a joking comparison with Taylor Swift, characterized by Toronto Sun columnist Jerry Agar as “an economy disguised as a young woman.” Eby famously posted a video last September asking Swift to include B.C. on her tour. Whether or not she saw the invitation, she'll be here.
Swift is doing three shows before an estimated 150,000 fans at B.C. Place this December. She's not asking for any renovations to the stadium or any other concessions so far as I know.
The least the public can expect from the Eby government is a complete and checkable cost-benefit analysis of hosting FIFA in the same venue.