BC taxpayers paying near-maximum rates for executive vehicle leases
The BC government’s executive vehicle leasing policy is drawing scrutiny after records obtained through freedom-of-information requests showed taxpayers are being billed about $370,000 per year for leased vehicles for senior bureaucrats.
According to figures reported by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, the average monthly cost of executive vehicle leases is about $1,103. The group said the records cover deputy ministers, associate deputy ministers and other senior executives in the government sector.
Under the province’s Terms and Conditions of Employment for Excluded Employees/Appointees, deputy ministers and associate deputy ministers are provided with a government-leased vehicle that must be an electric vehicle or a hybrid. The maximum monthly lease payment, excluding tax, cannot exceed $1,200. The province also pays the insurance and operating costs, and the maximum lease period cannot exceed 48 months.
(Data courtesy angusreid.org)
Those same terms also allow deputy ministers and associate deputy ministers to take a vehicle allowance of $1,000 per month instead of a leased vehicle.
The reported lease average sits below the $1,200 cap, but not by much. That raises questions about how the government is applying its stated standard for cost-effective travel. Section 13.3 of the government’s transportation policy states that an employee conducting government business must use “the most cost effective and appropriate mode of transportation.”
The reported figures can also be compared with less expensive options cited in the same report. A 2026 Range Rover Evoque Dynamic SE leases for $843 per month, a 2026 Mercedes-Benz GLA 250 SUV for $574, and a 2026 Toyota Corolla Hybrid LE for $394.
Transparency remains another issue. The government withheld the make, model and year of all leased vehicles in its FOI response, citing law enforcement and public safety concerns. Without those details, it is difficult to independently assess whether the leased vehicles reflect the most cost-effective use of taxpayer dollars.
