In a move that reignites a contentious political debate, B.C. Conservative MLA Peter Milobar has launched his bid for the party's leadership with a renewed pledge to repeal the province's Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA).
A Stance Long Held
Announcing his candidacy on Friday, January 19, 2024, Milobar emphasized that his position is not new. The MLA for Kamloops told CKNW host Rob Fai that he campaigned against the legislation a year and a half prior and that opposition to DRIPA is a consistent stance within the Conservative caucus. The Act, which provides a framework for implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in British Columbia, was passed with unanimous support in the legislature in 2019.
Growing Political Divide Over DRIPA
However, that cross-party consensus has fractured. Milobar, who joined the Conservatives just before the 2024 provincial election, argues the NDP government's application of the law is undermining public support. He contends that DRIPA has led to a transfer of control over provincial lands and resources to B.C.'s 204 Indigenous nations, eroding access and creating uncertainty. John Rustad, the current Conservative leader who voted for DRIPA as a BC Liberal MLA in 2019, also reversed his position two years ago, calling for its repeal on similar grounds.
The Conservative party's 2024 election platform included a promise to outright repeal the Act, a policy that Premier David Eby criticized as "fearmongering" and detrimental to reconciliation. In response, the governing New Democrats have acknowledged a need for amendments to clarify that DRIPA is a "framework" and not a tool for courts to automatically overturn existing laws.
Accusations and Defence in the Reconciliation Debate
The political rhetoric has grown sharp. Milobar insists that disagreeing with DRIPA does not equate to racism, but rather a disagreement with the government's chosen path. "David Eby needs to admit it is not working, and we need to restart the reconciliation process in a meaningful way," he told The Canadian Press.
The NDP response was swift. Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation Minister Spencer Chandra Herbert issued a statement on Friday calling on Conservative leadership candidates to explicitly reject residential school denialism. While not directly accusing Milobar, the minister stated he hoped to hear that commitment from the candidate, implicitly linking the repeal stance to broader, harmful narratives.
As the Conservative leadership race begins, the future of DRIPA and the political discourse surrounding Indigenous reconciliation in British Columbia are set to remain at the forefront of provincial debate.
