Fallout continues after B.C. premier’s decision to hold off changes on DRIPA

The Opposition once again hammered Premier David Eby over his handling of controversial Indigenous rights legislation.

The Opposition B.C. Conservatives hammered Premier David Eby in Tuesday’s question period about his many flip flops on DRIPA following pressure from First Nations leaders—including his unfulfilled threat to make pausing parts of the act a confidence vote.

“At one point he was willing to go to an election over these critical amendments,” noted A’aliya Warbus, B.C. Conservative house leader.

On Monday, Eby said Attorney General Niki Sharma had convinced him to delay pausing parts of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act for six months, while the NDP and First Nations leaders meet to negotiate.

But the Opposition points out that the premier had repeatedly said that without amendments, DRIPA posed a significant legal liability to B.C.

“He’s kicked the can down the road, leaving British Columbia in limbo once again,” said Warbus during question period.

“It is a multiple-month delay, but the opportunity to sit down with First Nations to come up with a durable and lasting solution,” responded Eby.

First Nations leadership embraced the move Monday, but Aboriginal law lawyer Tom Isaac said the decision represents ongoing uncertainty and a willingness to bend to the pressure of those leaders.

“We’ve got a government that flip-flops constantly on the issue and has now kicked the can down the road until next fall, and seems to be co-governing with undemocratically elected co-governments,” said Issac, the head of the national projects team at Cassels.

Sharma says a long-term solution is the goal, but whether it still involves changing DRIPA somehow is unclear. “I think we’re going to get there, we’re going to get to that solution that protects the Crown from the liability that we’re concerned about,” she told reporters Tuesday.

What is clear is the premier’s handling of what he’s called the most difficult file of his political career may be causing said career major harm.

“If that’s happening in public then you can only imagine that it’s much more difficult behind the caucus doors,” said former B.C. Liberal premier Christy Clark, referring to news his caucus didn’t fully support his proposed confidence vote on DRIPA. “I’ve been there, I’ve seen it happen, and it isn’t any fun for the leader when it happens,” she added.