B.C. Conservative MLA Launches Initiative Petition Seeking Repeal of DRIPA

Noah Chen

8/31/20262 min read

A B.C. Conservative MLA is launching an initiative petition aimed at repealing the province’s Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, commonly known as DRIPA.

Harman Bhangu, MLA for Langley–Abbotsford, applied to Elections B.C. to begin the process, with his application approved in principle Thursday.

Under B.C.’s initiative legislation, any registered voter can propose a new law or seek amendments to an existing one through a province-wide petition process.

The petition itself is non-binding, but meeting the required signature threshold can trigger further consideration by the legislature.

Petition Faces High Signature Threshold

For Bhangu’s proposal to succeed, organizers must collect signatures from at least 10 per cent of registered voters in each of British Columbia’s 93 electoral districts.

All of those signatures must be gathered within a 90-day period.

The petition campaign is scheduled to begin Oct. 26 and conclude Jan. 25.

Organizations and individuals are permitted to formally register their opposition to the initiative during the process.

If the petition meets the required threshold, it would be referred to a legislative committee.

That committee could recommend that the proposed bill be introduced in the legislature or return the matter to Elections B.C. for a province-wide initiative vote.

DRIPA Passed Unanimously in 2019

The Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act was passed unanimously by the B.C. Legislature in 2019.

The legislation requires the provincial government to work toward aligning B.C. laws with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, or UNDRIP.

The law has become increasingly significant in legal and political debates over Indigenous rights, consultation requirements and the province’s approach to reconciliation.

In December, the B.C. Court of Appeal’s Gitxaala decision found that the province’s mineral tenure system was inconsistent with UNDRIP because it allowed mineral claims to be automatically registered without prior consultation with affected Indigenous peoples.

Province Previously Considered DRIPA Changes

Earlier this year, Premier David Eby announced that his government was considering amendments to DRIPA that would limit the extent to which courts could shape the province’s reconciliation framework.

The proposal drew opposition and concerns from Indigenous leaders and others.

The government ultimately decided not to proceed with changes to the legislation during the spring legislative session.

Bhangu’s initiative would go considerably further by seeking to repeal DRIPA altogether.

Only One B.C. Initiative Has Met Signature Requirement

Successful initiative petitions are extremely rare in British Columbia.

Since the process was established, 14 initiative petition applications have been approved since 1995.

Only one has gathered the required number of signatures in every electoral district — the 2010 initiative opposing the harmonized sales tax.

Bhangu’s office said he planned to release additional details about his proposal later Thursday.

The upcoming petition period will determine whether the repeal effort can clear the province’s unusually high signature threshold and advance to the next stage of the legislative process.

News

Stay updated with the latest BC news stories, subscribe to our newsletter today.

SUBSCRIBE

LINKS

Ethics