Thoughts on BC Politics and More

The BC Conservative Caucus is calling on the NDP government to come clean with British Columbians about their proposed amendments to the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA) and to immediately end the secretive process that is sowing doubt, creating confusion, and undermining public confidence in reconciliation. For weeks, the NDP government has insisted it is committed to transparency and partnership. But its actions tell a different story. According to public reporting, the government has circulated proposed DRIPA changes behind closed doors, shielded key documents from public scrutiny, and required non-disclosure agreements before some First Nations leaders could even review the details. At the same time, the broader public has been kept in the dark about what exactly the government wants to change, why it wants those changes, and what the legal and economic consequences could be. That is not how a serious government builds trust. And it is not how a governmen...

The BC Conservative Caucus is raising the alarm after a troubling notice from the University Hospital of Northern BC (UHNBC), warning pregnant women that obstetric services may be reduced starting in August due to a shortage of specialists. The notice confirms that some patients may need to be transferred, potentially hundreds of kilometers away, for safe delivery. UHNBC is the only tertiary care hospital for obstetrics in all of Northern BC. It’s where hospitals from Fort St. John, Dawson Creek, Hazelton, Terrace, and Prince Rupert already send high-risk pregnancies. Now, even UHNBC may no longer be able to care for them. “Northern Health has been aware of this looming obstetrics crisis since January, and there are still no solutions locally or from Victoria. This is what the collapse of a health care system looks like,” said Kiel Giddens, MLA for Prince George–Mackenzie. “If you’re an expectant mother in the North, the message is clear: BC can’t deliver the standard of care you deser...

Claire Rattée, MLA for Skeena and Official Opposition Critic for Mental Health and Addictions, is calling out the provincial government for what she describes as a “dangerously defeatist” and hypocritical approach to addiction recovery — following a Ministry of Health update that confirmed patients are not told about recovery-based treatment options unless they explicitly ask. “This government would never take this approach with cancer, diabetes, or even vaccinations — imagine if we told patients we’d only offer vaccines if they specifically requested them,” said Rattée. “By that logic, should we be launching massive education campaigns to schoolchildren warning them that if they ever try drugs, they’re doomed? That there’s no hope? That recovery isn’t even worth talking about?” In a June 4 news release, the Ministry of Health reiterated its stance that individuals in the healthcare system are not proactively informed about abstinence-based recovery unless they request it. Critics argu...

While the NDP brought forward a thin legislative agenda this session, our Conservative Caucus delivered real wins for British Columbians — not just through legislation, but through consistent advocacy, public pressure, and principled opposition. “ As the spring session comes to a close, I want to thank our team for a season of hard work and meaningful results ,” added John Rustad, MLA for Nechako Lakes and Leader of the Official Opposition. From repealing the carbon tax and ending unwitnessed safe supply, to securing critical services for children like Charleigh Pollock and calling out government failure in tragedies like the death of Chantelle Williams, our team has made a tangible impact. While the NDP struggles to manage public backlash over Bills 7, 14, and 15, our caucus was advancing practical solutions. Our members tabled 11 private members’ bills focused on affordability, mental health, emergency response, public safety, and interprovincial trade. Several of these initiatives w...

Official Opposition Critic for Infrastructure and Construction, Misty Van Popta, is calling out the BC NDP government for dragging its feet on the critical Nanaimo patient tower project — even after local partners offered to pay upfront to move it forward. The Nanaimo Regional Hospital District (NRHD) has stepped up in an unprecedented way, offering to fully fund the business plan for the new patient tower and cardiac catheterization lab. This offer, sent to Premier David Eby and Infrastructure Minister Bowinn Ma in February, removes the last financial barrier to advancing the project — yet the province still hasn’t moved forward.   “ It is unacceptable that local governments and private partners get to a point where they feel they have to front the bill just to get vital health infrastructure off the ground. All while this NDP government refuses to act, ” said Van Popta. “T his project is shovel-worthy and shovel-ready. What’s this government waiting for ?” The prop...