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

RIGGS -- What’s needed is a clear, province-wide, framework


RE:  CTV News -- DRIPA amendments, lack of transparency spark backlash in BC

After a two-week hiatus for spring break, the debate over the NDP government’s handling of First Nations rights continued Monday in the legislature ...

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

When the Richmond news broke, I was frustrated like everyone else. But after looking into it, this didn’t come out of nowhere, and it’s not really about DRIPA.

The recent court decisions aren’t that the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA) suddenly changing the rules. They’re the courts applying Section 35, which has been the law for over 40 years. Governments have always had a duty to consult. DRIPA didn’t create that, it was meant to bring some structure to a process that was already being fought out in the courts.

The real issue is uncertainty.

When the rules aren’t clear, projects stall, costs go up, and everything turns into a legal fight. That doesn’t help homeowners, industry, or First Nations. It just keeps lawyers busy.

Scrapping DRIPA won’t solve that. It likely puts us right back into a fragmented system with even more court battles. At the same time, unclear policy isn’t acceptable either.

Where the concern is valid is transparency. If changes are being discussed behind closed doors or under Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDA’s), people are going to lose trust. You can’t expect public confidence if no one understands the process.

That’s why proposals like Scott McInnis’ Aboriginal Title Transparency Act matter. If the government won’t support transparency, people are going to start asking why.

What’s needed is a clear, province-wide, framework that respects constitutional rights, gives certainty to property owners and industry, and reduces the need for constant litigation.

Right now, it feels reactive instead of planned. That’s not how you run a job, and it’s not how you run a province.

Set the rules, make them clear, and let people get to work.

 

Mike Riggs ... is a contractor, and the father of two disabled daughters. He values hard work, real world perspective, and speaking common sense.

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Your government has a gambling problem (Troy Media)

Provinces call it “revenue,” but it looks a lot like exploitation of the marginalized The odds of winning Lotto Max are about 1 in 33 million. You’re statistically more likely to be struck by lightning than to win it. But your government is betting that statistics won’t hold you back; they’re counting on it. Across Canada, provincial governments not only regulate gambling, they also maintain a monopoly on lottery and gaming by owning and operating the entire legal market. That means every scratch card is government-issued, gambling odds are government-set, casino ads are government-funded and lottery billboards are government-paid. And these are not incidental government activities. They generate significant revenues that governments have powerful incentives to expand, not constrain. It would be one thing for our governments to encourage us to engage in healthy activities. We can quibble about whether the government should be trying to convince us to be more active or eat more vegetabl...
Post a Comment
Read more

US Tribes Using DRIPA to Expand Influence in British Columbia

The BC Conservatives are sounding the alarm after receiving multiple filings in the BC Supreme Court in which U.S.-based Indigenous tribes are relying on DRIPA, UNDRIP, and the Interpretation Act to assert greater recognition of Aboriginal rights and direct involvement in British Columbia affairs. “This is a clear and growing sovereignty crisis,” said Scott McInnis, Critic for Indigenous Relations. “The Premier himself has referred to the DRIPA situation as an existential threat to British Columbia, and has said amendments are non‑negotiable. We are now seeing exactly why.” Court cases reveal that American tribes are attempting to leverage DRIPA to gain standing and influence inside BC. “It is becoming increasingly clear that DRIPA is being weaponized in ways never transparently disclosed to British Columbians,” McInnis said. “Allowing U.S. tribes to expand their reach into BC governance is deeply concerning and completely unacceptable.” One notable case, brought by a group of Alaskan ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Seniors Waiting Years for Care: New Data Exposes Growing Long-Term Care Crisis in BC

Image Credit: Seniors Advocate BC     “ Eight years. That is not a wait time. That is a system failur e” Seniors in British Columbia are now waiting years, not months, for access to long-term care, according to figures confirmed during Health Estimates this week. Brennan Day, MLA for Courtenay-Comox and Critic for Rural Health and Seniors’ Health, says the numbers paint a clear picture of a system falling behind the needs of a rapidly aging population. “Yesterday, after repeated questioning, the Minister finally confirmed that 7,829 seniors are currently waiting for long-term care in British Columbia,” said Day. “That’s an 11 percent increase in just one year.” The delays are not measured in weeks, they are measured in years. Across the province, average wait times now exceed a year in many regions. In Vancouver Coastal Health, the maximum wait time has reached 2,825 days, nearly eight years. “Eight years,” said Day. “That is not a wait time. That is a system failure.” At...
Post a Comment
Read more

Labels

Show more