Thoughts on BC Politics and More

The following is a condensed version of Kamloops – North Thompson MLA Ward Stamer’s remarks, to the BC Legislature, on the afternoon of Tuesday May 19th : I rise today to continue remarks on Bill 20, the K’ómoks treaty, and to address what I believe are some of the most important constitutional, democratic and governance concerns facing this Legislature today. At the centre of this debate are two major issues. First, unresolved overlapping territorial boundaries tied to this treaty process. And second, the growing legal and political consequences arising from the provincial government’s implementation of the Declaration of Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, more commonly known as DRIPA. Much of the government’s defence on DRIPA rests upon references to the United Nations declaration on the rights of Indigenous Peoples, commonly known as UNDRIP. And this is where we must begin having a more honest and mature conversation in this province. UNDRIP was never originally designed to function ...

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...

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 appli...

Scott Fraser was the Minister of  Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation in the government of the late Premier John Horgan After the BC Court of Appeal 2-to-1 decision in support of Gitxaala Nation and Ehattesaht First Nation, which affirmed that courts have a duty to view and measure B.C. laws through the lens of DRIPA, Premier David Eby is desperately trying to change the channel on how this law could drastically impact investment and economic certainty in British Columbia. It's a far cry from what the previous Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation (Scott Fraser) said in the house about how DRIPA would have no force or effect. THE NDP insisted DRIPA would not impact private property rights or have sweeping legal consequences. Their previous Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliations’ own words are now meaningless: Quotes from 2019 Debate “ The legislation sees us bring provincial laws into harmony with the UN declaration over time .” – Scott...

... Under the Indigenous section of the party’s priorities on its website, OneBC says it wants to “defund the reconciliation industry." It also wants street names to be in English, to end land acknowledgements and to remove Truth and Reconciliation Day, observed annually on Sept. 30, as a provincial holiday.  Now, calls for the OneBC leader and MLA to resign are growing.  An online petition calling on Brodie to resign launched in March. It has since garnered about 1,800 signatures.  In early November, the First Nations Leadership Council called for Brodie’s immediate resignation.  Last week, Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc kúkpi7 (chief) Rosanne Casimir joined the calls for Brodie to resign ... CLICK HERE for the full story 

RECONCILIATION IS something we must take seriously, because it’s important, but sometimes it can get a bit silly because governments have a way of messing it up. Case in point is Okanagan Falls, a community of about 2,200 people on the south end of Skaha Lake in the Okanagan Valley ...  ... a lot of its residents want more local control of development, so they narrowly voted in favour of incorporation a few months ago. Since then, the provincial government has thrown a wrench in the works, hinting it might require Okanagan Falls to change its name to an Indigenous one when letters patent are completed ... CLICK HERE for the full story

“Reconciliation” has been the watchword for Canada’s relationship with its indigenous peoples for the last 10 years. So, how’s that going? ... ... Our current impasse arises from 250 years of decisions that are now almost impossible to change because they have been made part of Canada’s Constitution, either by elected politicians or by appointed judges. “Big new ideas” are thus virtually impossible to implement. But there is still room for incremental innovations in public policy that focus primarily on economic opportunities benefiting Indigenous Canadians, i.e., on pursuing prosperity and the good things that come with that ... CLICK HERE for the full story 

When it comes to Indigenous Reconciliation, Canada’s path seems like a one-way street. Years of apologies and billions in spending have not created a spirit of co-operation and partnership but have instead led to more grievance and more obstruction of efforts to build a more prosperous Canada.  There could be a better way forward.  Combining his five decades of experience on Indigenous affairs with his conviction that decisions made 200-300 years ago are still alive today, lifelong academic and author Tom Flanagan suggests ditching grand visions and constitutional amendments in favour of incremental – and achievable – gains. In particular, giving more Indigenous communities an ownership stake in major resource development projects to bring both sides together, build wealth and raise living standards in a process of grassroots reconciliation ... CLICK HERE for the full story

“There can be no reconciliation if the process deepens division.” The election is over and although I did not win, the experience was invaluable. It was a journey filled with lessons, challenges, and moments that deepened my understanding of our community. Throughout the campaign, my team and I discovered an overwhelming sense of community among the residents of North Coast and Haida Gwaii. The hardworking individuals who form the backbone of this region deserve recognition and celebration. Yet, alongside these positive experiences, there were also dark ones: death threats, hateful emails, and cyber attacks ... CLICK HERE for the full story

USED WITH PERMISSION of the author, Chad Norman Day " Don't give up what you want most, for what you want right now. ” Following several generations of colonization, injustice, racism, and exploitation of our children, lands and resources, many indigenous individuals in Canada and their advocates are currently more concerned with " getting even " rather than empowering their people through reconciliation. It’s unfortunate, but it’s also understandable. Most indigenous people, rooted in their homelands, want to see their communities and nations become prosperous and independent, but this may take decades or generations for those nations with communities and/or leaders who are overwhelmed with anger, frustration and pain. This is why I’ve always said that reconciliation starts with ourselves first.  We need to heal and become healthy individuals before we can reconcile and unite our communities or nations in a fashion that will ...

While reading this , please note it w as written yesterday (February 27 th ) With a pipeline blockaded in northern British Columbia, trains stopped in their tracks across the country, the proceedings of the legislature in Victoria disrupted, and demonstrations in my riding and communities across the country, the past few weeks have been confusing and frustrating for many Canadians. Despite all the finger-pointing, the current conflict started in the British Columbia legislature when the BC NDP and BC Liberals voted together to support Bill 10, a billion-dollar taxpayer subsidy to induce a final investment decision from LNG Canada. The BC Green Caucus voted against the subsidy from the beginning and urged other MLAs to do the same. Instead, our colleagues chose to barrel ahead knowing that there were existing long-standing and unresolved matters relating to rights and title in the area. The Coastal Gaslink conflict in the Wet’suwet’en territory has now spilled out...

When our governments use imprecise language, it does not absolve them of responsibility. One term that has gained disproportionate importance during the last decade is “ reconciliation ”. No one seems to understand exactly what “ reconciliation ” means. Different people have different interpretations and the lack of precision is detrimental to progress in resolving issues. The Oxford dictionaries describe reconciliation in two ways: 1)            an end to a disagreement or conflict with somebody and the start of a good relationship again, and 2)            the process of making it possible for two different ideas, facts, etc. to exist together without being opposed to each other. It is arguable that there has never been a good rel...

WORDS, WORDS, WORDS ... the same ones day after day ... Daily, the Media Department at the Prime Ministers Office, churns out informative pieces of information on where Justin Trudeau will be, who he’s meeting with, when he’s in the House of Commons, and what he’s had to say ... I get this information every day. As all of you are well aware, our country has been in turmoil for two weeks now as multiple highway locations, city streets, and rail lines have been blocked by protesters who allege they are doing to in support of First Nations peoples along the Coastal GasLink pipeline route ... and of several Hereditary Chiefs who oppose the project. The continuance of these blockades has had many concerned for a multitude of reasons – I don’t need to list them because you are already well aware of them. What I will do however, is present just a few of the releases from the Prime Ministers Office. I think in reading them, you will sense a pattern to the ...

The current state of federal government reconciliation efforts makes two things abundantly clear: The federal government has a serious and unavoidable conflict of interest.   Indigenous Affairs departments spend over $14 billion annual including operating costs. That is a lot of government infrastructure and jobs to protect. There is no respect or trust on either side in the reconciliation process. Indigenous people are done talking. They want to see the action promised by this government and it is not taking place. The government (of Justin Trudeau) has squandered its credibility and cannot recover. The only rational way forward for this government is to create a neutral third-party Reconciliation Panel to oversee reconciliation efforts. A panel of six provincial appellate court judges, presided over by a federal appellate court judge, might be able to do the job required. The Reconciliation Panel must have the power ...

Green Party MLA and Interim Leader Adam Olsen The 2020 Speech from the Throne was overwhelmed by the well-publicized protests that nearly shut down the British Columbia legislature. For the most part the Speech was a recap of work that has been accomplished by our minority government through the Confidence and Supply Agreement (CASA) between the BC Green and BC NDP Caucuses. I'm happy to review the achievements of our collective work, because there have been quite a few. However, the 2020 Speech from the Throne lacked an inspiring vision for the space British Columbia is going to take in the 21st century. Unfortunately, it appears the BC NDP are still invested in the 1950's "British Columbia Dream." Over the coming weeks the BC Green Caucus will be highlighting elements of our plan for a resilient, sustainable and prosperous modern British Columbia. I spend a little time in this speech on those matters because at this moment I a...