Columbia River-Revelstoke MLA and Critic for Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation Scott McInnis, is warning that the NDP’s proposed overhaul of the Heritage Conservation Act is the latest attempt to push through sweeping land changes under the cover of technical amendments.

Two years ago, the NDP attempted radical reforms to the Land Act, B.C.’s title-granting and land management system. Those reforms would have established co-management and consent-based decision-making across Crown lands, giving First Nations the ability to approve or halt virtually any activity, McInnis said, adding the government was forced to withdraw the changes after widespread backlash, recognizing they had become too hot to handle in the lead-up to the election.

“British Columbians stopped the Land Act amendments once, but the government is determined to sneak them in through the back door,” he said. “We are now seeing the same approach resurface piece by piece, through the Mineral Tenure Act, secretive land use planning agreements, and now through the Heritage Conservation Act. It’s the same agenda, just repackaged.”

McInnis noted the government is trying to sell the Heritage Act changes as a way to speed up permitting, but industry experts are already warning the opposite will happen. The Independent Contractors and Businesses Association (ICBA) has cautioned that the Heritage Branch will “make that goal impossible,” with archaeological assessments and permitting “already at a breaking point.”

McInnis said the Heritage Act overhaul threatens both public and private lands while undermining the very spirit of reconciliation.

“In the name of virtue signalling, not meaningful reconciliation, the NDP is creating conflict instead of trust,” he said. “True reconciliation cannot be built on rushed decisions, undefined powers, and the exclusion of municipalities, industry, and property owners. That is a recipe for division, not unity.

“Once again, this government chooses to make decisions behind closed doors rather than ensure all British Columbians are consulted on major changes to B.C.’s regulations. The government is moving too fast, with too little consultation, and too little thought about the consequences.”

McInnis is calling on the government to take a step back and commit to a transparent process that involves all British Columbians.

“We have local governments who have indicated they have been left out at critical stages, and many other citizens and stakeholders are left wondering what this all means for the future of investment in B.C.?”

“British Columbians deserve better than piecemeal attempts to sneak in sweeping land changes,” McInnis concluded. “The NDP’s land agenda has failed, and it must not be allowed to continue to fail the people of British Columbia, with these kinds of back door moves. We need to start thinking ahead about true reconciliation and the best path forward together.”

e-KNOW file photo

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