Governing the serfs, placating the nobles and rewarding all your loyal knights is no easy task.
The King (or Queen) sometimes need a good laugh.
And what better way to have one than get someone to write speeches and pen jokes just for you … and have your subjects pay for it!
Henry II had his Court Jester, who was named Roland the Farter; Mary, Queen of Scots had Nichola, imported from France; and Henry VIII, Mary I and Elizabeth I all had one of the most famous and enduring … Will Sommers, a very keen wit, who sometimes, though, went too far:
“Sommers once told how Henry VIII, unhappy at some of his banter, smacked him so hard that it knocked him ‘through three chambers’, and down ‘four pair of stairs’,” according to the UK History website: (Read the list of Official British fools here: https://www.history.co.uk/articles/britains-most-famous-court-jesters).
Today’s political royalty apparently need jesters too!
Premier David Eby has hired a speech writer/comedian, for $165 an hour … paid for by the taxpayers. (https://www.vicnews.com/news/bc-premier-eby-has-comedian-speechwriter-on-contract-for-150k-8254831)
““Today, for example, I’m delivering five speeches,” Eby explained. “I’d love to be able to write my own speeches like I used to, but I do need support to be able to respond to each event.”
““David Eby’s not the first premier of British Columbia that I’ve written for,” says the Premier’s personal scribe, Charles Demers. “I wrote for John Horgan, although for John Horgan I did only write jokes,” Demers was quoted on CTV News.
“His current contract allows him potentially to make a maximum of $300,000 over four years,” CTV reported. (https://www.ctvnews.ca/vancouver/article/conservatives-accuse-bc-premier-of-spending-up-to-450k-on-comedian-to-write-speeches/)
Laughing yet?
Maybe not if you’re a BC taxpayer who just learned this year’s “adjusted” deficit will be $11.6 BILLION … worse than even during the COVID crisis … and the kingdom’s total debt has now hit $155 BILLION … up $20 BILLION since last year.
Hilarious?
Well, try to be of good cheer…
Eby has never impressed me as an “easy” laugh guy … or even much of a smiler … so Demers may help!
And unlike Henry VIII, Eby won’t likely physically assault, behead or draw and quarter Demers if he’s not happy with his work: it would not score well in polling … or with NDP focus groups.
But the Premier can rest assured that if he does pull a Henry VIII reaction … and gets arrested, it’s BC!!! He’ll be out of jail in a couple of hours, after a nap, a taxpayer-funded lunch, and Crown Counsel will decide not to proceed with charges … so he’ll be free to do it again, and again, and again.
However, BC’s Auditor General may have some questions:
How many “professionals” already work in the Premier’s Communications office?
Can’t any of them write speeches? Don’t any of them have a sense of humour?
How will Mr. Demers’ productivity be measured?
At $165 an hour, can the public expect two jokes per hour … or just one?
Does each laugh generated have to audible? Do two chuckles and a snicker count as one laugh? Does a guffaw qualify for a bonus?
And, what is Mr. Demers annual travel budget … you know, to attend Commonwealth Comedian/Speechwriters’ Conferences/Conventions … preferably in Europe during the Summer and the Caribbean during the Winter?
Who knows … the Premier may soon have us all rolling in the aisles!
But how are we to know when to laugh?
Will Eby be serious … or just joking … when he next tells us his government is eliminating hospital emergency closures, increasing “affordable” housing and making our streets safe?
Harv Oberfeld
(Follow @harveyoberfeld on “X” for FREE First Alerts to new postings on this blog.)
Eby should be able to squeeze extra tax money out of the public purse for speeches even after tens of millions of more of the PEOPLE of BCs money gets siphoned off for the various much smaller and minority communities of shakedown artists and special interest activist groups.
(Response: Maybe humour will help people deal with BC’s 11.6 Billion deficit and $155 Billion total debt this year … and projections that say both will be even worse next year! Or should we all just cry? Ho)
Is there anything in politics today that is not spun, embellished, full of convenient omissions or scripted?
Many past media employees find work as mouthpieces, spin doctors or just plain information manipulators, I suppose when your first career choice is going Blockbuster video, one does need work.
All levels of governance hire “spokespeople”, communication Czars and the like, even unelected quasi-government entities like “Metro”, “BC Ferries”, “Translink” & many others. When a stiff politician hires a comic, it really begs one to ask why does Eby need a funny writer? The lack of humour, the stiff impressions from a stiff in office are viewed as detriments by the braintrust of the BC NDP, otherwise this entire exercise would be moot.
(Response: Composing humour is probably one of the difficult forms of writing: it has to bring a smile, a chuckle or laugh … without being rude or nasty. And for naturally dour politicians … like Eby … or just those who have difficulty translating their ideas to writings or speeches, professionals are available to help … for a fee. But $165 an hour? Eby must need extra help! By the way, I hope everyone noticed Jimmy Kimmel, on his second broadcast back, referred to Trump as “the Mad Red Hatter” …and it drew media coverage. That’s MY line .. the Mad Hatter … first used on this blog March 24, 2025!!! Should I demand royalties? Or at least a free pizza? Ho)
$165 an hour seems excessive to me. Maybe if BC had a budget surplus we could justify it, but in difficult economic times for many, it seems wrong.
(Response: Politicians (of every stripe) are often very generous … with other people’s money! Ho)
I wonder what even just 300,000 dollars could buy or be used for in the help of the needy, children’s hospital, some seniors in dire need, medical equipment, drug addiction help, the,handi capped. Wow are we completely disgusted with our political leaders yet. I am completly so Eby can stow the comedy go fish.
I don’t think Mr. Eby will be able to pull it off.
I’m certainly no expert on this subject but I believe being funny is because the person is just naturally funny and it shows. It’s also a question of timing and delivery. If it isn’t done right then a person will come off as fake.
I admit I am not a fan of his and I haven’t listened or watched him in a long time. I’m sure that he is most likely a good person but I strongly disagree with his politics.
Maybe he should change his priorities.
(Response: Well, as I noted earlier, pretty well all political leaders get help with their speeches …and, yes, the humour/anecdotes hey inject to enhance their image/impact. The problem for Eby is now that the public know THEY are reportedly paying $165 an hour, up to $400,000 over four years for it, they’ll be watching for it, analysing if it’s worth it, and knowing it’s “planted”, it won’t have the same desired effect Eby was counting on. Ho)
Apparently Justin Trudeau is also painfully bad at telling jokes or spontaneous jokes.
“As funny as Greta Thunberg on stage at a comedy club”…comes to mind
Perhaps it’s a socialist, “Save The Planet” thing?
I’m not surprised David Eby has hired a comedian to be his speechwriter. The explanation is very simple. His government is a joke.
Who needs a writer, Eby is the joke!
Wreckless abandonment of fiduciary duty among a bloated
Buerocracy while giving away the farm not a joke . :/
(Response: In the three years with Eby at the helm, BC’s total debt grew 74%!!! It is now projected to hit $155.4 Billion in the 2025-26 fiscal year. You’re right …that’s no joke! Maybe that’s why he decided to hire a professional comedian to help him out? Ho)
How does one apply for this job? “The leader of the opposition is so old, we should call him John Rusted!” It took me 3 hours to write that joke.
(Response: $495 for that??? Plus GST? There goes the BC deficit again!!! Ho)
Old Rust bucket just got a new vote of confidence and pretty good at that. Maybe he just had a bit of surface rust and will come out fighting with a new shiny coat of paint and armour. Okay, it’s only a joke.
How outraged are we supposed to be here? Are we mad that he has speech writers? As you pointed out to Ijustdon’tknowanymore all leaders have speechwriters. And some of them are clever enough to come up with something funny. Or is it just the fact that one of these speech writers happens to be a comedian. Why should that matter? We already know that most prepared speeches by politicians are likely written by somebody else so we already know that anything funny is likely somebody else’s joke.
John Rustad doesn’t strike me as a particularly funny guy. Neither does Mark Carney. Poilievre like Trump say things that get laughs but they are usually nasty funny. And I bet they get help on some of their “jokes”.
We all know that delivery is the key to joke telling. Reagan loved telling jokes and knew how to tell them. Generally they were not mean spirited but still made some dig at Democrat policies. I am not worried at all that Eby has included a comedian as part of his speech writing team. I’m more worried when he is reading a joke off the teleprompter he will look stilted and the joke will fall flat. That’s when the money spent on the comedian will be a waste.
Anyway, would you rather have “Hey, ChatGPT. Write me a speech explaining our $12B deficit and $200B debt. Include a couple of jokes.
(Response: Depends on how much the ChatGPT charges: speeches are generally forgotten within hours ..except for content basics or particularly good quotes …or jokes. As I wrote, and you noted, all political leaders have speech writers. What does make this one “news” is the fact that Demers is a recognized comedian ..and the cost, $165 an hour and reportedly up to $300,000 over four years. Definitely worth a “story” … and it did evoke some negative reaction, especially on talk radio etc, but I don’t really sense the wide public reaction is one of “outrage” … more incredulity at the $165 an hour wage rate! Ho)
Took the challenge and asked ChatGPT to write a joke about Eby hiring a joke writer and go the following back:
Why did Eby hire a joke writer?
Because even his punchlines needed a campaign manager! 😄
(Response: I don’t get it. ChatGPT …you’re fired! Ho)
Eby has gone well past being a joke as he is fast becoming BC’s worst premier and that is some doing, with the likes of Christie Clark and Gordon Campbell.
I now know of at least 5 people who, to no fault of their own have suffered from the abuses of ICBC after a car accident. Eby’s “no-fault” car insurance has caused great pain and suffering and there is no legal recourse, when ICBC cheapens out.
The NDP has turned a $1.63 billion light rail project in surrey/Langley to a smaller $7 billion Skytrain project.
The #1 highway rehab has now topped 10 billion and counting.
His density mandates have nothing to do with ‘affordable’ housing and everything to do with land speculation and nothing more.
Healthcare is in shambles outside Metro Vancouver and speaking of Metro Vancouver, Eby has utterly failed to deal with the financial monster Metro Vancouver and its malignant bureaucracy and tax and spend philosophy.
From my viewpoint Eby is a politcal coward, afraid to deal with real problems and instead throws taxpayer’s monies away on image building claques, speech writers and comedians. “Oh what fools we taxpayers be, voting for a premier’s largess, from our empty purse”
(Response: Who knows …maybe this is a trial balloon? Just imagine how many comedians could find work helping Health ministry officials explain Hospital Emergency Department closures; ICBC announce rate increases; BC Ferries reveal more breakdowns on holiday weekends or additional contracts awarded to environmentally polluting, human rights oppressing … but low paying cheaper supplying brutal dictatorships! Ho)
Oh boy, D.M. Johnston you are so right about it all. The ICBC Scam Corporation, and the whole works of the NDP wasters and ripoff artists.We absolutely mustn’t forget the rotten to the core, the BC governments scam and sham cabal of the BC gaming industry. That’s right the BCLC. God I wish people would stop giving thier brain cells, thinking caps, money and shirts off their backs to that rotten scamming industry. So many people like seniors, desperate people, regular people are going down the tube and herded and brainwashed for that disgusting and immoral industry and its hierarchy of overpaid scamming bums that are doing Ebys dirty work that is now taking so much more of the peoples money to only turn around and give more obscene tens of millions in handouts to his and the NDPs special shakedown artist groups. It’s sick. But good on D.M.Johnston speaking to.the hard truth. I’m just adding that little extra, but super important little extra. Anyways, all I can say to people is please stop giving your everyhing to these high paid Ebys scam artists that you and I are paying for as taxpayers and of course the taxpaying players that are being brainwashed to be ripped off so much than ever before.
I appreciate the humour in this–it is funny.
But of all the times to come down on Eby; this is the first time in a very long time our BC government has called on Canada to give BC its due, by calling out the unfair treatment of our ferries and transportation system continuing under our new federal administration.
(Response: Politicians holding power in a democracy, controlling billions of dollars of taxpayers’ money, are NEVER exempt from critiques … or humour…. about how they are spending it. Ho)
Bravo Harvey. You always come up with good sum ups.
And while the Premier Kings subjects suffer under the weight of poverty, unrelenting unabated crime, unaffordabilty, and the wasting of much of the peoples money by way of unfair special treatment handouts to the Kings Shakedown artist favourites, the Premier King wastes more large sums of the peoples money for specialized speeches to help tell the fibs lies and propaganda in much better form.
(Response: Let’s keep it real: every leader has communications people, speech writers and, yes, people who feed him or her some humour to lighten the message .The problem Eby has now is that every time he says something light or funny, his audience will be wondering if that remark was one of the $165 an hour offerings? Which kind of destroys the impact! Ho)
They all sure do use speech writers, but maybe it’s time they use their own brains brains more and quit wasting our money. It just adds more to the waste equation especially in these uncertain and hard times for so many people younger and older. It’s just down right disrespectful and shameful. They just bring more negative attention to themselves. How stupid and immoral. Even if a comedian writes speeches for them , there’s no comedy or humor to be had in what’s taking place for people struggling to keep above the dung heap the very people in charge have been guilty of building.
I burst out laughing at the Blog topic!
Silly me, and I thought his staff (or he) wrote his speeches.
As for Eby not having anyone to “write his speeches”.
Perhaps some of the former media personalities that worked (or work) for govt could pitch in and help?
Randene Neill?
Pamela Martin?
Christy Clark?
But on second thought.
They would be even more expensive than the current Court Jester.
As for the rest of the budget busting crew…..
Off with their heads!
(Response: Hey, if you burst out loud just reading the topic …maybe Eby should hire ME!! It took me only two minutes to come up with it ..so the cost to BC taxpayers would only be $5.50 ! And if you enjoyed the the blog itself, I would throw in for Eby as new customer loss-leader ….knowing he’ll probably need a lot more help to make people smile or laugh over the next two years! Ho)
Reminds me of the lyrics to that song: “Clowns to the left of me! Jokers to the right! And here I am stuck in the middle with you!”
Waiting to see how EAF and her fellow NDP supporters justify this one!!! Maybe if he had hired a TFF comedian, they’d be fine with this????
(Response: Keep the money at home! Charles Demers may be a better choice: if he’s a BC taxpayer. We’re just lucky Eby didn’t consult the brass at BC Ferries as to who writes their speeches/jokes: they may have recommended the Comrades Smiling Department in China … where comedians work very cheap, and GUARANTEE the leader a laugh a minute, PLUS wild applause … or can send those who don’t respond correctly away for “re-education”. Ho)