SCOTT McINNIS: Adam is right, this is hard work, but non-indigenous British Columbians also need to have their voices heard
Columbia River-Revelstoke MLA Scott McInnis
I have to say there are several key points within his op-ed (The Tyee – Jan 5, 2026), however, that are attempting to further downplay what is a serious situation in BC.
No, David Eby didn’t give a chunk of Richmond to the Cowichan; the courts did based on the constitution and evidence.
But the notion that he’s actually serious about defending private property interests is laughable.
No, David Eby didn’t give a chunk of Richmond to the Cowichan; the courts did based on the constitution and evidence. But the notion that he’s actually serious about defending private property interests is laughable. That's because there seems to be NO urgency shown by our provincial government:
➡️No legislation came forward.
➡️No call to Ottawa to work with S.43 of the constitution.
➡️No expedited call for an urgent appeal.
➡️No stay application.
Just $150 million of
our tax dollars (money which he certainly doesn’t have) as a political stunt to
‘backstop’ the over $2 billion worth of property. It’s a joke.
Adam talks about how
the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA) doesn’t bring
in additional title rights. Technically, as DRIPA isn’t constitutional, I
suppose he’s correct. But Article 26 specifically says that First Nations have
a right to own-develop-control land/territory, resources they traditionally
owned or occupied.
This has bred
agreements, like we saw on Haida Gwaii, where they were granted 100% of their
“traditional territory” as title land. This is an outcome that would have
certainly not occurred had the Haida been required to prove their traditional
occupation in court.
Adam can’t tell me,
with a straight face, that other First Nations aren’t upset with that outcome
as they won’t be getting their entire territory back-unless they strike a sweet
deal with the government.
Business isn’t afraid
to invest in BC because of the official opposition Conservative Party of BC
Caucus messaging. They’re afraid because DRIPA has created an environment of
co-governance between the province and 204 First Nations; an admirable goal on
paper, but logistically impossible.
Business can’t invest
when they don’t know who’s actually in charge of decision making.
Adam gives Eby a free
pass, surprisingly, on his decision-making innocence around DRIPA. Personally,
I’d love to hear Adam’s perspective on why, while we were under a provincial
state of emergency due to severe atmospheric rivers and flooding events, the
NDP and Eby, brought in Section 8.1 of the Interpretation Act.
There was no debate,
instead there was forced closure, and DRIPA is now set in stone ... this wasn’t an accident.
Adam is right -- this
is hard work -- but non-indigenous British Columbians also need to have their
voices heard on reconciliation.
- Private property must be protected
- Reconciliation must have an end goal
- First Nations governments must be accountable for the tens of billions of taxpayer dollars they receive.
- The provincial government must have sole decision-making authority over issues within the public interest.
The public must be included in these conversations, and the work by the
provincial and indigenous governments must be public and transparent.
Scott
McInnis
is the Conservative Party of BC MLA for Columbia River-Revelstoke, and the
Critic for Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation
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