Thoughts on BC Politics and More

Recent media reports and government disclosures reveal that up to 24 million acres of BC Crown land and more than $1 trillion in mineral wealth could be up for grabs, stripping elected representatives of decision-making power and undermining democracy. Today’s Public Accounts, released by NDP Finance Minister Brenda Bailey, list 334,643 acres as provincial Crown land obligations under treaty agreements. The sweeping commitments include 113,147 acres to Kitsumkalum, 87,203 acres to Kitselas, 34,461 acres to Wuikinuxv and 23,411 acres to In-Shuck-ch. Media reports have also revealed that the NDP plans to hand over up to 96,000 square kilometres (23.7 million acres, larger than the country of Portugal) of northwest BC—and $1.28 trillion in mineral wealth—to the Tahltan Nation based on unproven land claims. Why wasn't this massive transfer included in today's Public Accounts list? Furthermore, we learned that this government is also transferring 30 Crown land parcels to the Te’mexw...

Okanagan farmers are facing a water crisis as government-imposed restrictions threaten to kill their crops and destroy one of B.C.’s most important agricultural industries. In perhaps the most water-rich province in the country, our farmers have been left high and dry by the NDP government. For nine weeks, Okanagan and Shuswap farmers have proposed solutions, only to be met with NDP foot-dragging. Now forest fires have come to these regions as they are simultaneously reckoning with a water crisis that has been made worse through years of government inaction. Vernon-area farms have lost 70 percent of their water, while Kelowna and Summerland growers face severe restrictions. This situation is unacceptable and cannot continue. Ian Paton, Shadow Minister for Agriculture, said the NDP is once again forcing farmers to pay for its own failure to plan. "Farmers and ranchers must be listened to when decisions affecting their livelihoods are made, and under the NDP, they aren’t," said...

Macklin McCall, MLA for West Kelowna-Peachland, and Hon. Kerry-Lynne Findlay, Leader of the Conservative Party of B.C., are calling on Premier David Eby to immediately declare a provincial state of emergency in response to the Bald Range wildfire, which has forced the evacuation of the entire District of Summerland and thousands more in Peachland and surrounding areas. The fire has burned more than 95 square kilometres and is showing aggressive, fast-moving behaviour, with embers carried up to a kilometre ahead of the main fire front. More than 20,000 people are now under evacuation order, Highway 97 is closed, and the District of Summerland has declared a local state of emergency. A provincial declaration would unlock additional resources for crews on the ground, including funding for equipment such as self-contained breathing apparatus and upgraded firefighting gear, expanded training facility resources, and broader access to personnel and heavy equipment. "Families in Summerlan...

While Canada posted modest job gains in July, warning lights are still flashing in British Columbia. Youth unemployment remains stubbornly high, leaving too many first-time jobseekers shut out of the workforce. BC also lost 3,400 public administration jobs in July, likely as temporary Census positions ended. “BC's jobs divide remains stark. Unemployment is far higher in business-driven communities like Kelowna (9.3%) and Abbotsford-Mission (8.3%) than in Victoria (5.0%). Government should be focused on creating the conditions for private-sector investment and job growth,” said Gavin Dew, MLA for Kelowna-Mission and Shadow Minister for Economic Development. “We need an economy where young people can find work, businesses can hire, and every region has the opportunity to prosper.” This comes as BC faces five straight quarters where more businesses are closing than opening, an NDP cabinet rift over job-creating projects like Tilbury LNG, and fresh signs that even the province's to...

The NDP just got caught buying back the exact kind of power plant it spent years telling British Columbians they didn't need. The NDP government announced today that BC Hydro is purchasing the Island Generation natural gas facility in Campbell River, an admission that its electrification-only energy policy was never realistic. The 275-megawatt plant was originally privately owned yet kept to a minimal backup role under the NDP, operating just 15 days a year on average. Now, with demand outpacing what the NDP's plan can support, the government is spending taxpayer funds on the very gas capacity it once treated as obsolete. "You cannot electrify everything and pretend natural gas doesn't matter," said Larry Neufeld, Shadow Minister for Energy.  "Buying back a gas plant they once wrote off is proof their own plan couldn't keep the lights on. It's a step towards more energy reality, but the government needs to go further and scrap the impending province-w...

Private property rights hang in the balance, along with control over all of British Columbia in an upcoming BC Supreme Court case. A trial date has now been set for the Pender Harbour and Area Residents Association’s constitutional challenge to DRIPA. The 16-day trial before the BC Supreme Court is set to begin on November 22, 2027. This is a crisis the government saw coming. David Eby himself admitted DRIPA is a “significant legal liability” to the province and promised to amend or suspend parts of it, yet did nothing, leaving citizens to do the work the government should have done itself. If this constitutional challenge fails, businesses, workers, and homeowners in BC will face a crisis of confidence. “DRIPA is a threat to British Columbians’ democratic and property rights, and it would be great if the court overturns it,” said Scott McInnis, Shadow Minister for Indigenous Relations. “DRIPA has created tremendous uncertainty in BC. Businesses have made it clear they are very concern...

IMAGE:  Government of BC The NDP government is failing to keep the interests of all British Columbians in mind when making decisions on public land. In what is part of a trend of short-sighted road closures and denying public access to public land, the NDP government is planning to eliminate public access to the Incomappleux Conservancy in the Kootenays. These decisions threaten public safety during emergencies and deprive communities of tourism and recreation opportunities. “The NDP government continues to make decisions about forest service roads and public lands in isolation, without considering the cumulative impacts on rural BC,” said Donegal Wilson, Shadow Minister for Water, Land, Fisheries, and Wildlife Management.  “These roads are far more than forestry infrastructure. They provide emergency access during wildfires, connect people to private property, and support hunting, fishing, camping, and outdoor recreation that rural economies depend on. Yet while communities a...

The NDP government’s reckless drug policies have fueled a homelessness crisis that it is doing nothing to address. Two encampments on provincial Crown land beside Highway 99 in Richmond are rapidly growing and pose a major public safety threat, but the NDP government has completely ignored the issue. One of the encampments is directly above a jet fuel line, and regular fires create an unacceptable risk of disaster. “Richmond is dealing with a major crisis, and the NDP government is doing nothing to help,” said Steve Kooner, MLA for Richmond-Queensborough.  “Widespread drug use, weapons, and fires in the encampments endanger residents of nearby neighbourhoods as well as the people living inside. And an encampment that has propane tanks and that has had a recent major fire, and which is sitting right above a jet fuel pipeline, is a recipe for a major public safety disaster. The BC government must take urgent action to end this safety crisis unfolding on Crown land.” “These encampment...

Dr. Anna Kindy BC’s hospitals are being stretched dangerously far beyond their limits. 57 out of 80 hospitals in BC are running over capacity, with some running at as high as 160% capacity. “Evidence shows that when hospitals reach 90% capacity, patient care becomes compromised, and at over 100% serious adverse events including death increase dramatically,” said Dr. Anna Kindy, Shadow Minister for Health. “Hallway medicine is not only dangerous but also demoralizing to ER doctors and that is why so many are leaving or quitting.” BC’s 1.9 hospital beds per 1,000 people ranks significantly lower than the Canadian average of 2.5, which in turn is far worse than the rates for most developed countries. The average for OECD members is 4.6. “BC is getting further behind in healthcare infrastructure,” said Kindy.  “This government has cancelled seven badly needed long term care projects and a Burnaby Hospital expansion this year alone. As BC’s population continues to age, more seniors will...