Skip to main content

“I am a Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, or free to choose those who shall govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind.” ~~ John G. Diefenbaker

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 a lot of respect for Adam Olsen. We don’t always agree on politics, but I respect the man.

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

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

BC’s Forestry Decline Is a Policy Failure, Not a Market Reality -- Forestry Critic Calls for Accountability and Urgent Policy Reset

Conservative Party of BC Forestry Critic, and Kamloops - North Thompson MLA,  Ward Stamer As the Truck Loggers Association convention begins today, BC Conservative Forestry Critic Ward Stamer says British Columbia’s forestry crisis is the result of government mismanagement, not market forces, and that an urgent policy reset is needed to restore certainty, sustainability, and accountability. “For generations, forestry supported families and communities across BC,” said Stamer.  “Today, mills are closing, contractors are parking equipment, and families are being forced to leave home, not because the resource is gone, but because policy has failed.” Government data shows timber shipment values dropped by more than half a billion dollars in the past year, with harvest levels falling by roughly 50 per cent in just four years. At the same time, prolonged permitting timelines, unreliable fibre access, outdated forest inventories, and rising costs have made long-term planning impossib...
Post a Comment
Read more

BC cannot regulate, redesign, and reinterpret its way to a stable forestry sector. Communities need clear rules, predictable timelines, and accountability for results.

Photo credit:  Atli Resources LP   BC’s Forestry Crisis Continues with Closure of Beaver Cove Chip Facility   As industry leaders, Indigenous partners, and contractors gather this week at the BC Natural Resources Forum in Prince George, the gap between government rhetoric and reality could not be clearer. Just hours after the Eby government once again touted reconciliation, certainty, and economic opportunity under DRIPA, Atli Chip Ltd, a company wholly owned by the ’Na̱mg̱is First Nation, announced it is managing the orderly closure of its Beaver Cove chip facility. The closure comes despite public tax dollars, repeated government announcements, and assurances that new policy frameworks would stabilize forestry employment and create long-term opportunity in rural and coastal British Columbia. “British Columbians are being told one story, while communities are living another,” said Ward Stamer, Critic for Forests. “This closure makes it clear that announcement...
Post a Comment
Read more

Eby government signs another land-use agreement, as they say one thing and do another, during DRIPA chaos

While promising to fix DRIPA, the Eby government continues to quietly sign binding land-use agreements that fundamentally alter how Crown land is governed in British Columbia. On January 15, 2026, the government signed four ministerial orders advancing the Gwa’ni Land Use Planning Project with the ’Na̱mg̱is First Nation, amending the Vancouver Island Land Use Plan and changing how more than 166,000 hectares of Crown land can be accessed, developed, and managed. “This is Land Act reform by stealth,” said Critic for Indigenous Relations Scott McInnis. “British Columbians already rejected these changes once. In 2024, public backlash forced the NDP to pull its Land Act amendments. Instead of listening, this government has gone underground, signing individual deals behind closed doors, just like we’ve already seen in places such as Squamish, Teẑtan Biny, and across Northwest BC.” “The Premier admits DRIPA ( the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act) is creating ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Labels

Show more