"It is absolutely possible, as a leader, to move off confidently in the wrong direction."
Premier David Eby, backing down on his vow to amend (and then suspend) the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People's Act #bcpoli
Eby's gone from:
We need to amend the law ASAP, this is non negotiable
to
We can suspend the law while we figure things out, it will be a confidence vote
to
We can wait several months while we try to find a solution
Most of this in the past two weeks #bcpoli
Office of the Premier First Nations Leadership Council STATEMENT Premier's, First Nations Leadership Council statement about DRIPA VICTORIA - Premier David Eby and the First Nations Leadership Council have released the following statement regarding the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People's Act (DRIPA): "The Government of B.C. will not be introducing legislation to suspend or amend DRIPA or UN Declaration-related provisions in the Interpretation Act, in the spring legislative session. "The Government and First Nations Leadership Council are committed to working together with all First Nations leaders on a path forward to discuss and consider the government's stated legal concerns, while upholding the title and rights and human rights of First Nations. "Together, we commit to genuine collaboration to find solutions as soon as possible, and before the fall legislative session.
Joint statement from Premier Eby and the First Nations Leadership council on DRIPA
Eby has backed off changing or suspending the law this spring
Changes may be put forward in the fall session, but Eby told reporters there's no guarantee the two sides will come to an agreement about how to proceed
It's April 20 and you know what that means 👀
British Columbians can now file applications with Elections BC to recall their provincial MLAs 💁♀️
#bcpoli
This does seem to be the general sentiment in landlord Facebook groups. Those communities are WILD
B.C. loves to say it has the cleanest natural gas in the world, but the truth is — well, more like the complete opposite of that.
a real banger of an investigation at @thenarwhal.ca today by @writermjs.bsky.social & Wil Crisp. thenarwhal.ca/lng-canada-b...
It's interesting to me that a story about online rape networks doesn't seem to have broken through?
The story's inception was instigated in part by Gisèle Pelicot's rapes. Her husband drugged and and raped her and then invited dozens of other men to rape her while she was drugged.
There's a redaction at the top of page 21, ~2-4 lines
Thanks! I was partly curious how much they might redact 👀
And yah, shows the time change was planned a ways in advance
Nemine Contradicente! Meaning, everybody voted for it at first reading
Unclear who called division 🤷♀️
Sec 8.1 was created in 2021, after David Eby - then attorney general - introduced a bill to add that clause to the Interpretation Act
It's now understood to be part of the government's push to curb court interpretation of DRIPA
1 The Interpretation Act, R.S.B.C. 1996, c. 238, is amended by adding the following section: Section 35 of Constitution Act, 1982 and Declaration 8.1 (1) In this section: "Declaration" has the same meaning as in the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act; "Indigenous peoples" has the same meaning as in the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act; "regulation" has the same meaning as in the Regulations Act. (2) For certainty, every enactment must be construed as upholding and not abrogating or derogating from the aboriginal and treaty rights of Indigenous peoples as recognized and affirmed by section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982. (3) Every Act and regulation must be construed as being consistent with the Declaration. Commencement 2 This Act comes into force on the date of Royal Assent.
Independent MLA Elenore Sturko puts forward a bill that would repeal section 8.1 of the Interpretation Act, which directs courts to interpret provincial laws and regulations to be consistent with the Declaration Act and, by extension, UNDRIP
Division at first reading #bcpoli
Sir, you think you can take advantage of us, of First Nation votes in this province. You assume that we're going to support you because of the threat of an opposition party. First Nations people have a long history of voting for the NDP and their predecessor. My grandfather told stories about handing out pamphlets for the old party that was before the NDP and that was when he couldn't even vote. So there's been support for that long. Don't assume that a support is going to survive your actions. It's not. First Nations people have voted over 70% for you in the last election. We know that because we look at the polls that are done on reserve in this province, we can see the count on those polls. It was overwhelming support from First Nations people. Don't assume that anymore. I'm not voting NDP. I've had a lifetime of voting NDP every single time. I'm not going to do that next time, and it's only because of the premier and his attorney general. The rest of the party, we know them. We know that many of them are supportive of First Nations objectives. Sir, I think you're making a huge mistake. Thank you.
Hugh Braker, a member of the First Nations Summit Political Executive and Tseshaht First Nation citizen, directed some remarks directly to Premier Eby, telling him not take First Nations votes for granted
"Don't assume that a support is going to survive your actions. It's not." #bcpoli
There's been a lot of focus on the three Indigenous women in the NDP caucus and whether they will support the government's incoming legislation
Former Green MLA Adam Olsen would like to see the NDP MLAs who voted for DRIPA in 2019 "be called upon here to stand up for the work that they did" #bcpoli
Remember Premier Eby's proposal to suspend DRIPA instead of amending it?
First Nations leaders say they do not support the suspension
They told reporters they went into last week's meeting intent on discussing solutions only to be told, "We're going to just suspend it for three years" #bcpoli
The FOI system is broken and Byzantine but that doesn't mean it never, ever works!
I wanted to know what was in the throne speech the government planned to deliver before the Tumbler Ridge tragedy. So I filed an FOI with the premier's office
I got it last week and it's mostly unredacted #bcpoli
Love to rewrite the lede on a story a few hours after publication because the entire premise has shifted significantly 🫠
Life as a political reporter 🥲
Anyways, we're still getting legislation, just not the same legislation that we were getting as of yesterday 💁♀️
Eby says feedback from First Nations on DRIPA's partial suspension will be taken seriously
But a bill will be drafted and introduced this session
And it will be a confidence vote, Eby says - meaning there's a possibility the government could fall if the vote goes against them #bcpoli
Asked why he believes his new proposal will be more palatable to First Nations than the changes to DRIPA he's been vowing since December, Eby says the new plan involves a temporary pause on parts of DRIPA rather than permanent changes
Says he's hopeful the change will be less offensive #bcpoli
Just to make things extra confusing, the new proposal also requires amendments to DRIPA and the Interpretation Act
Those will be drafted, introduced and passed by May 28, reporters were told
The newly proposed suspensions will NOT affect sections 6 and 7 of DRIPA, which allow the development of joint agreements with First Nations
The alignment of some laws with DRIPA can continue while some aspects of the law are suspended, per Eby's office
Eby put this suspension of parts of DRIPA during a meeting with First Nations leaders today
Those leaders told him the province's intended amendments were unacceptable, Eby says
Today's proposal will be put in writing a presented to First Nations leaders for feedback today, per Eby
Premier David Eby now confirming that the proposed amendments to the Declaration Act and related legislation are being put on hold
Instead, the government is proposing to suspend parts of DRIPA for up to three years while the Gitxaala appeal is in process #bcpoli
Why would I use "AI," I actually know how to fucking write
😁
A picture of a carton of egg nog made by Dairyland. The carton features Easter eggs in pastel colours
Find it at your local grocery store!
Chocolate egg nog might be a bit much, even for me 🤣
I'm here to tell you that the Easter nog has arrived 🐣🌷☀️
Resurrected in the dairy section for a limited time! Get it while you can!
Gov press release says the changes will "improve transparency and predictability and support early issue resolution with First Nations"
Consultations with US Tribes will happen outside of the First Nations procedural framework, in line with the Desautel decision from the Canada Supreme Court