B.C. Premier David Eby told reporters on Monday afternoon that DRIPA legislation has been “probably the most challenging issue I’ve worked on in government.”
But King’s Counsel and an expert in Aboriginal law had some strong words for what has happened.
On Sunday, Eby backed down again on the pausing of key parts of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA), scrapping plans to table a suspension bill this legislative session.
In a prepared statement on Monday, in partnership with the First Nations Leadership Council, Eby confirmed that the government 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,” the statement read.
“Together, we commit to genuine collaboration to find solutions as soon as possible, and before the fall legislative session.”
An expert in Aboriginal law and treaty matters told Global News that, in his opinion, the NDP is now co-governing the province with First Nations.
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Geoffrey Moyse was legal counsel in the B.C. Ministry of Attorney General’s Office and for more than 30 years he advised governments on aboriginal law and treaty matters.
“I have never seen anything like this… over six terms of governments, working for the provincial government,” he said.
“I have never seen this level of ineptitude and incompetence.”
Moyse retired in 2022, but said that by adopting DRIPA in 2019, the government essentially layered a framework over the province’s existing laws.
“There’s nowhere else in the world that has done this to itself,” he added.
Eby said that moving forward together now is his number one priority and resolve.
“Well, I certainly would have liked to have been right the first time,” Eby said.
“I was not. And I, you know, this is, this is challenging work. This is one of the hardest files I’ve ever worked on. And I’ve had other files that were hard and required multiple steps. The car insurance file comes to mind, but that was nothing compared to this.”
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Moyse said his top concern isn’t land use, but democracy.
In his opinion, by the Eby administration repeatedly backing down, that demonstrates that the province is now co-governing with the First Nations Leadership Council.
“Nobody votes for them except their communities,” he said.
“They have no obligation to the public interest, for the other 5.7 million British Columbians. And they are co-developing British Columbia’s legislative agenda. From my understanding and my training as a lawyer, that’s completely unconstitutional.”
Eby said he accepts the responsibility of taking the province in different directions, but he is optimistic they will be able to come to an agreement.
“We were prepared to introduce legislation this morning to put the Declaration Act on hold,” Eby said.
“I believe we had the votes. I believe we were able to do that. But my commitment to British Columbians, to First Nations leaders and to others is if there is a path for us to do that together, then I want to take it. So we’ll take the time to sit down together and try to find that path.”
The Premier”s own ideology may be what caused him to fall in a trap from which he is cannot get out. The UNDRIP developed by a small group of people in the UN, most of them sharing similar ideology as our Premier, is committing Canada to follow foreign rules without democratic consultation to Canadians.
UNDRIP was released as a UN idealistic declaration, to give the land back to aboriginals after 200 years of development, without any evaluation of the economic and social disruption it will create in the real world.
UNDRIP is anti-Canadian and has no place in Canadian law. All DRIPA and UNDRIP must be removed from the Law. No questions about it
David Eby caused this chaos, David Eby should personally be held accountable to reverse this craziness. Maybe he would like to hand over ownership of his house and land? My husband and children have all worked VERY long and hard for our homes and have no intent of handing it over… David Eby’s total disregard for non indigenous people’s rites should be seen as robbery, a criminal offence!!!
Eby = LIAR
J.V.
Turn off the CBC and give your brain cell a day off.
It can’t continue to function on its own with the demand you are putting on it.
BC having a constitutional crisis due to undrip
BC having a constitutional crisis thanks to UNDRIP
Moyse is being incredibly dramatic saying that BC is now “undemocratically co-governing” the province with First Nations. The only matters First Nations are being involved in are those related to First Nations. It’s not like they’re gonna ask the BC Chiefs association on their opinion on the budget. This whole thing is waaaaaaaaaaay overblown
When you have Eby leading anything it will be a disaster. The only path forward is to ditch DRIPA completely. The Supreme Court of Canada has opined on Indian land entitlements more than three decades ago in the landmark case Delgamu’uk. We don’t need Eby pandering to 3% of the population at the direct expense of the 97%. He has lost the plot…if he ever understood anything. We cannot afford more of the Eby Jeebies.
We should be having a constitutional challenge on this. Get it expedited before the courts ASAP.
I would also like more reporting like this, and make it even more in depth.
At Jan Steinman –
That was then this is now. BTW type of get togethers happened in the old settler villages too.
Now in Park Royal next to the Cap Rez you can see them in the, liquor store, food mall and best buy loading up on cheap booze, take out, TVs and iPhones for the 6 yr old and video games.
Pretty sure the entire community isn’t getting together every day for a 20 minute Pow wow. 🙄
Don’t worry, be happy. The Americans are coming.
Scrap it
My god. I cannot fathom the future if we allow 4% of the population to govern our province. When they have to raise taxes to pay for operating the province, will they offer to start paying their share??. Of course not. To quote the infamous lyrics :when the taxman comes to the door, lord the house looks like a rumage sale”
With any luck Eby is gunna piss off enough people that we can get rid of dripa and start fixing this province.
Moyse is a tool for the conservative extremists. He speaks with jaded lawyer’s tongue, all rhetoric and no substance. He has been salivating at DRIPA since it became the sexy thing to do in right wing circles. The racism is palpable. Eby caved to Mining, Political pressure (encapsulated by the stunting of stunted politicians), and Public Disinformation Campaigns (there is nothing like juicy disinformation to stoke interior and rural paranoia.
“Nobody votes for them except their communities.”
And prior to the racist and obsolete 1976 Indian Act, no Indigenous People voted for anything. They governed by elder-led consensus.
Voting barely qualifies as “democracy.” We pride ourselves on the twenty minutes each year we spend on “self” governance by voting.
Indigenous People traditionally spent at least this amount of time *per day*! They constantly interacted with their community, and in their “potlatch” ceremonies, they ratified what had already been decided by just walking around.
We could learn a lot from them.
thats Eby, the most useless leader BC has ever had
Tara – FNs care about the land?
Who sold the logging rights to Teal Co at Fairy Creek old Growth? Who? In Port Alberni and Fort McCloud whose logging companies were cutting old growth and clear cutting? Answer- It’s the local F Nations bands.
Who is building the highest density ghetto apartments complex in the country at the bottom of Burrard street bridge. Yup you guessed it the Locsl FNs. The FNs have already proven to be no better but no worse than anyone else.
So sell it on the street sister we ain’t buying it.
Me and jv are freeloaders we support the NDP because they keep giving us free drugs and welfare checks oh and were getting our grocery rebates soon we can buy some good s h i t with that keep working and paying your taxes suckers
The Haida tribes murdered, raped, pillaged and annihilated other tribes.
The Haida traveled vast distances in large cedar canoes, traveling as far south as present-day WA & OR. They engaged in warfare with neighboring tribes such as the Tsimshian, Tlingit, and Coast Salish over territory, resources, and trade routes.
Slave Raiding: Warfare often included raiding other communities for slaves, who were considered valuable assets and status symbols among the Haida.
At JV its a well known and established fact the FNs
also raided, kidnapped, enslavedd, raped and tortured other First Nations in pre colonial times.
Not saying it’s right but you are only calling yourself out here.
The white settlers raped and tortured First Nations children in BC and we still have a bunch of f**king losers in this province defending the settlers. They call it being “Conquered”
Bring on the election so we can bring in the Conservatives. The more the NDP try to manipulate society with “feel good” legislation, the more negative unintended consequences occur. The most obvious example, besides DRIPA and legalization of hard drugs, is the shift to permanent daylight savings time. They are playing god with the sun and our circadian rhythms! Please make the sun directly overhead at noon with permanent STANDARD time.
Geoffrey Moyse needs to be given the biggest platform to get his message out to all BC residents.
Who is actually governing this province?
Leftist Idealogies proving once again that every derogatory label slapped on them from the right is,in fact,true and accurate
Of course it’s a disaster. Leftists are incapable of governing. Look at the provincial debt.Look at the country as a whole after 11 years on the federal level.They have no idea of economics,no foresight of the consequences created by the policies they enact,no critical thinking skills,nothing.
A box of root vegetables could do a better job.The circus needs to leve town and country for good
Great job voting him back in……… Step up and claim your rewards.
Vote NDP, you get a circus.
It is obvious our Province is no longer run by the NDP government or the people
It is being governed by multitude of native groups who are now fighting among themselves. Premier Eby has no strategy or vision for this province or the self confidence to do what is right for all citizens not just the chosen ones…
It’s time for a new government. Eby is floundering big time and the province is going to hell.
Once again the interests of 5% of the population trumps the interests of 95%
Imagine if Eby was co-governing with the U.S. – this is not dissimilar. Engaging in an effort which undermines his own citizens to placate a foreign power… at least Canadian courts haven’t given the U.S. a judicial fiat to take Canadians’ land.
Welcome to British Columbia.
The first nation’s care about the lands. The BC government does not. The government is extracting resources without any care for future generations or the environmental impact its having on wildlife and ecosystems we rely on for health. Maybe the first nation’s co governing will actually ensure lands are treated with respect and not just as a money making enterprise. We have over 400 species that are considered at risk of extinction since 2008. The government has done nothing to bring any of this species off the list. They just don’t care about anything but using lands for profit and no one is better off, in fact the majority are not prospering. Only a select few are. So I hope the first nation’s will protect the lands in a way that they need to be protected.
ineptitude….yes. The residents of this province concur….his nomination was borderline by the party and replaced an amazingly qualified LEADER with this failure.
but THAT is ignored CONSTANTLY by the corporate media…towing THEIR line
Now I am suffering from FNF – First Nations Fatigue. This should be added to the growing list if mental health issues as I am sure I am not alone.
Treason
Your party will be annihilated in the next election. Then what will you do.
“ he’s ‘never seen this level of ineptitude and incompetence’”
Of course we haven’t seen this degree of buffoonery before. It’s the first time we have had a human rights lawyer leading the government.
🙄
to rephrase..yay and yay..my yay is yay..finally a peoples who knows they did not evolve fropm apes arises to power…remember also though with surety that every bear and their gall bladders are your brothers.
On the same peninsula as the UBC Endowment lends. There are people who own the house but lease the land that it sits on from the musqueam band.
I believe that in South Delta where the Tsawwassen are allowed to call them selves a nation there are even more dwellings administered under the same system.
Is this the future model for this province where fee simple is abolished and all the land is assigned to the rights of ‘first peoples’ So we have to lease the land that our houses are built on. And pay them directly for all time for the rights to be here ? Consider all the services that are euro technology have provided to a people that lived in the Stone age not much more than two centuries ago
yay yay yay and again yaay for the first nation people of bc…finally a people not evolved from apes comes into pow4er5
Consult does not equal consent or veto. It was ridiculous to adopt this piece of UN fecal matter. Even dumber to squander your provincial sovereignty.
Eby should not have any commitment to special interest groups like natives. He is to represent all of BC. He is such a chicken.
Hes such a joke
From Absolutely non negotiable regarding amendments to let’s talk and work together. You can’t make that up. I wonder what they are holding over his head.
Bahaha
Whatever three years until the next election maybe earlier if the FNs and courts give us yet another claims surprise and an early election is called.
He’s treasonous
How are the FN’S allowed so much say in how the province is run? They weren’t elected by the voters. Its time to take a stand against a corrupt group trying to overthrow the government. That people, is called treason
Exactly where is democracy?
10 MLAs were to vote against any changes to DRIPA. Mostly Greens, FNs and a couple of NDP’ers.
83 MLAs would either vote to either amend, suspend or out right repeal it.
That aboriginal law lawyer is right.
The unelected FN are acting like they are co-governing BC which apparently, by voters MLA representation, 90% of BC doesn’t want.
Just put to it a referendum or some vote of confidence.
I personally don’t want some two tier system where tribal feudal lords treats the rest of population like a bunch surfs.
Eby’s on the way out, and he knows it. He’s flopping around like a fish in a tidal pool. And of course the FNs will grab all the power they can, because why wouldn’t they?
the most useless leader BC has ever had