Conservative Party of B.C. Leader John Rustad is accusing Premier David Eby of hypocrisy after government confirmed a new contract signed with a company owned by Elon Musk.
Starlink, a firm owned by the world's richest person and controversial supporter of U.S. President Donald Trump, will provide internet service to parts of rural B.C.
"I come from rural B.C. (and) there are lots of people in rural B.C., who cannot access internet or phones," Rustad said while meeting with reporters at the legislature Tuesday. "They need valid options, but...what really irks people in this province is the fact that the Premier will say one thing and do something different."
B.C.'s Citizens Services Minister George Chow confirmed government was sticking with a $5 million contract for Starlink, a subsidiary of Musk's U.S.-based SpaceX, to provide high-speed broadband services, following a question from Conservative Rosalyn Bird, MLA for Prince George-Valemont.
"These contracts are for the safety and well-being of British Columbians," Chow said. "We are not going to cancel things like remote highway cameras or connectivity at remote highway stations. We'll continue to work, doing what we have been doing, trying to connect the province by 2027."
Responding to American tariff threats on Feb. 1, Eby said his government would direct the provincial bureaucracy and Crown corporations to buy Canadian goods and services first. It is unknown at this time whether government considered domestic or non-American suppliers in this internet services deal.
Government announced on March 12 that Tesla vehicles 鈥� another Musk product 鈥� would no longer qualify for a government rebate for electric vehicle chargers. Eby directly linked this to Musk, who some have accused of undermining U.S. democracy and causing global turmoil through his role in the so-called Department of Government Efficiency.
DOGE 鈥� not a government department approved by the U.S. Congress 鈥� has eliminated thousands of government jobs in the United States, dialed back scientific research and cut foreign aid.
"If British Columbians heard that ten-thousands of taxpayer money would go to Elon Musk, they would want to throw up," Eby said. "So we removed them from the program."
Chow's ministry responded to follow-up questions from Black Press Media in a written statement.
"The Premier has been clear that given the current tariff threats from Donald Trump, there are no plans for British Columbians to contract with Starlink for home internet services," it read.
The statement added that the only existing contracts between B.C. and Starlink are for critical and emergency services for items like remote ambulance stations, wildfire response and rural highway cameras.
"While we continue to look for alternatives to U.S. suppliers across the board, there is currently no plan to cancel these contracts, as the loss of these critical and emergency services could put British Columbians at risk."
Chow said in the legislature that government would continue efforts to improve connectivity throughout B.C. in pointing to investments of $584 million since 2017.
"In 2017, rural homes connectivity rate was only 57 per cent," he said. "Now it鈥檚 74 per cent. "For First Nations communities, particularly, in 2017, (connectivity) was 66 percent. Now they're 83 percent connected."
He added government efforts will have increased this rate to 96 per cent by 2027.
A government report found rural British Columbians pay more for worse internet and cell phone service. It also pegged B.C. behind the Canadian average for coverage along sections of major highways. Reasons include challenging terrain, lack of available power sources and what the reports called the 鈥渞emoteness of highways without populations supporting a business case.鈥�
Of the 15,000 kilometres of primary and secondary highways in the province, about 4,200 kilometres 鈥� or 28 per cent 鈥� lack cellular service coverage. Of that figure, 3,100 kilometres 鈥� or 37 per cent 鈥� also lack available power necessary for cell towers.
Starlink avoids the on-ground terrain and power challenges through the use of satellites based in what experts call a low-Earth orbit. The company has commercial and government contracts around the world and its services have helped Ukraine fend off Russia's full-scale invasion underway since February 2022.
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