McInnis: NDP Quietly Abdicating Provincial Decision-Making Authority Under DRIPA

Conservative MLA and Critic for Indigenous Relations Scott McInnis says new public information confirms the BC NDP has fundamentally altered how major resource projects are approved in British Columbia without public debate, transparency, or a clear mandate from voters.

 

Public materials released by the Tahltan Central Government related to the Eskay Creek and Red Chris mines confirm that projects cannot proceed without the consent of the Tahltan Central Government Board. If consent is not granted, even after a provincial reconsideration process, the project does not go ahead.

 

“This makes it clear that under Section 7 agreements, consent is no longer consultation, it is permission,” said McInnis. “If consent is withheld, the project stops. That represents a major shift in how Crown land decisions are made in this province.”

 

McInnis stressed that his comments are not a criticism of the Tahltan Nation, but of the provincial government’s approach.

 

“To be absolutely clear, this is through no fault of the Tahltan,” said McInnis. 

“The Tahltan Nation deserves economic opportunities to flourish and has every right to pursue prosperity and long-term benefits for its members. Strong Indigenous participation in resource development is a good thing and should be supported.”

 

“The problem here is the NDP,” McInnis added. “A weak provincial government chose to give up its governing responsibility behind closed doors, without being honest with British Columbians about what it was doing.”

 

McInnis said the NDP has repeatedly described Section 7 agreements as ‘partnerships’ or ‘shared decision-making,’ while failing to explain that the province no longer retains final authority over approvals.

 

“At no point did the NDP campaign on transferring final decision-making authority over Crown land through consent-based agreements. British Columbians were never told this is how reconciliation would be implemented.”

 

McInnis warned that treating Crown land as if it were proven Aboriginal title land, something the Supreme Court of Canada has explicitly rejected, risks stalling development, creating uncertainty for workers and investors, and deepening division rather than advancing reconciliation.

 

McInnis said “this approach does not provide certainty for investors looking to put significant capital into British Columbia. Under Section 7 agreements, the government cannot guarantee project approval, and that uncertainty puts jobs, investment, and long-term economic growth at risk.”

 

“Economic reconciliation must be transparent, lawful, and predictable,” said McInnis. “It should support Indigenous Nations while also providing certainty for workers, communities, and the broader public interest. Right now, the NDP has delivered none of that.”