Eby's DRIPA Suspension Plan Faces Backlash

0:00British Columbia premier David Evie is pushing to suspend key parts of the declaration on the rights of Indigenous Peoples Act or DRIPPA for up to three years. This comes after court ruling shook up how the act fits into provincial laws creating major legal headaches. Evie says it's needed to wait for a Supreme Court decision on a big appeal. The trouble started with last year's Gidexayala ruling from the BC Court of Appeal. It basically said DRIPPA brings the UN Declaration on Indigenous Rights into BC laws right away across the board. Evie told First Nations leaders in a recent meeting that his government can't overhaul every law at once. They lack the staff and buy-ins to swallow that, elephant hole. At that closed-door meeting, First Nations speakers unloaded on Evie, calling his plan disingenuous and saying it fractures their relationship with the province. One leader accused him of colonial tactics, taking rights away piece by piece, while others expressed deep disappointment and lost trust in him as a partner.

1:00Details from the meeting transcript show Evie wants to pause four sections of DRIPPA plus one in the Interpretation Act. These include rules on how laws must align with DRIPPA and requirements for government action and reporting. He called it the least invasive fix to dodge widespread legal risks. Evie hopes this pause buys time for a better path forward while the Supreme Court weighs in, framing it as a confidence test for his government amid the pushback. That's your Vancouver News Today update, AI-powered and always on.