Thoughts on BC Politics and More

The BC government needs clarity from the Supreme Court of Canada on a landmark mineral rights claim, Premier David Eby says. But the lawyer representing the challenger says that they would have preferred the province respect the lower court's decision. Eby said Thursday it is very good news that the court will hear its appeal of a ruling that found the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the provincial mineral claims regime are "inconsistent." The BC Court of Appeal ruled in December that the provincial Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, or DRIPA, should be "properly interpreted" to incorporate the UN declaration into the laws of B.C. with immediate legal effect. That ruling set off the appeal from the province amid concerns that it could cause economic uncertainty ... CLICK HERE for the full story 

Yesterday, I published the latest version of The Maple’s annual database of elected officials at the provincial level who are landlords and/or invested in real estate. These annual releases are only possible because all provinces require their elected officials to fill out disclosure forms containing, in part, property they own, sources of income and investments, which are then made public. With that said, some provinces have far better disclosure report systems than others. After spending hours browsing through each province’s system annually, I’m well positioned to rank them, which I’m going to do here. This may sound dry or unnecessary, but it’s actually important ... CLICK HERE for the full story

How badly does the NDP government not want to talk about the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples anymore? Very badly, judging by debate on one of two First Nations treaties that were hustled into the legislature as the DRIPA crisis was reaching full boil last month. The government made a vain attempt to steer away from DRIPA during debate on the K’ómoks treaty covering parts of northern Vancouver Island, even though DRIPA is specifically cited as an integral part of the treaty. The Conservative Party of BC Opposition is intent on exploring every aspect of the contentious law that recognizes Indigenous rights to full partnership in most provincial decision-making. It’s an obvious way to score political points. It is also warranted by the implications of the court decision last year that created the controversy ... CLICK HERE for the full story 

The province’s cancellation of contracts for as many as seven new long-term-care homes is drawing attention to the thousands of older people languishing in hospital beds while ­waiting to get into a home, with some dying on the wait-list. Laura Kyle says her mother, Barbara Donaldson, spent seven months in hospital with Parkinson’s, first at Victoria General and then at the Gorge Road Health Centre, before dying in September. She says that Vancouver Island Health Authority officials had told them that the wait for a long-term care bed could have taken another two years ... CLICK HERE for the full story

During Question Period on May 20, NDP house leader Mike Farnworth shut out Conservative efforts to find out how much the government is spending on a suite at BC Place Stadium during FIFA World Cup. The Jobs and Economic Growth Ministry told theBreaker.news that the cost for the 10-person, catered suite is $475,000, via the City of Vancouver’s host city supporters’ program ... CLICK HERE for the full story

It’s not yet at a Carney-level of turnaround, but Christine Fréchette has given the Coalition Avenir Québec new life and, just maybe, new hope that the October provincial election won’t be an unmitigated disaster for the governing party. Last week in this newsletter, I highlighted two new Quebec polls from Pallas Data and Liaison Strategies that put the Parti Québécois and Quebec Liberals (PLQ) in a tie, with the CAQ rising to either 18% or 19%. This week, we have a new poll from Léger for Québecor — and it suggests that the trends picked up by Pallas and Liaison are continuing to boost the CAQ from potential spoiler status to long-shot contender ... CLICK HERE for the full story 

IMAGE CREDIT -- Premier David Eby (Facebook) Yesterday (May 20th) the Official Opposition attempted to move a reasoned amendment to the second reading of Bill 20, the K'ómoks Treaty Act, 2026, that would refer the subject matter to the Select Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs before the Legislature proceeded further. The amendment was voted down by the NDP government.   The amendment asks the House to pause the treaty ratification until the committee has examined, in public, overlap issues raised by neighbouring First Nations, the substantive changes the government made between the publicly-released Agreement-in-Principle and the final Treaty, and the implications for British Columbians.   "Modern treaties are supposed to bring certainty. That is the whole point," said Scott McInnis, MLA for Columbia River Revelstoke and Official Opposition Critic for Indigenous Relations.  “This Treaty inserts UNDRIP as an authoritative source for its own interpretation...

The following is a condensed version of Kamloops – North Thompson MLA Ward Stamer’s remarks, to the BC Legislature, on the afternoon of Tuesday May 19th : I rise today to continue remarks on Bill 20, the K’ómoks treaty, and to address what I believe are some of the most important constitutional, democratic and governance concerns facing this Legislature today. At the centre of this debate are two major issues. First, unresolved overlapping territorial boundaries tied to this treaty process. And second, the growing legal and political consequences arising from the provincial government’s implementation of the Declaration of Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, more commonly known as DRIPA. Much of the government’s defence on DRIPA rests upon references to the United Nations declaration on the rights of Indigenous Peoples, commonly known as UNDRIP. And this is where we must begin having a more honest and mature conversation in this province. UNDRIP was never originally designed to function ...

Canada’s former environment minister says a new proposal by the federal government to allow major projects to proceed even if they result in wildlife extinctions is “morally wrong.” “The rules were put there for a purpose and I would be extremely reluctant to see them changed,” David Anderson told The Tyee. Anderson played a major role in getting Canada’s Species at Risk Act passed in 2002 when he was environment minister in a Liberal government ... CLICK HERE for the full story