The Autocrat’s Selective Ear and the Silence That Enables Him

This is a moment to stand up and defend our democracy!

The first session of the 43^rd British Columbia parliament has been revealing.

As Premier David Eby stubbornly pushes forward with Bill 14: Renewable Energy Projects (Streamlined Permitting) Act and Bill 15: Infrastructure Projects Act, a growing list of critics, unlikely allies under any circumstance, have begun to name a deeply troubling pattern. The word that keeps surfacing is “autocrat.”

When I was an MLA, I criticized Premier Eby’s autocratic tendencies, and warned British Columbians about this behaviour. Others are noticing. In former Premier Gordon Campbell’s searing comments about Bill 7 earlier in the session, he noted “it is the move of an autocrat, not someone who claims to be a New Democrat.”

It is not just the obvious centralization of power that is so concerning. It’s how Premier Eby chooses to respond—or not respond—based on who is raising the alarm.

Bill 15 is not a minor tweak of provincial process. It gives sweeping discretionary powers to Cabinet, allows Ministers to prioritize political expediency by overriding environmental assessments and marginalizing regulatory oversight.

Minister of Infrastructure, Hon. Bowinn Ma, admitted she did not follow provincial law on the duty to consult on Bill 15, because her Ministry “had interpreted that interest would be quite low from First Nations.” Obviously, this wrong-headed assumption drains First Nations leaders of confidence in her and Premier Eby’s approach going forward.

There has been a unifying opposition to Bills 14 & 15. The First Nations Leadership Council, Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council, W̱JOȽEȽP and a growing list of First Nations, the Union of BC Municipalities, the BC Conservatives, legal experts, and environmental watchdogs have all spoken out against the bills. Yet, Premier Eby remains unmoved.

It has become increasingly clear the Premier is listening with a selective ear. When pushback comes from the former BC Liberal Premier or business leaders like we saw in the opposition to Bill 7, his government responds. When it comes from First Nations and local leaders, the push back is ignored.

Despite seeing the same autocratic actions that they criticized Premier Eby for in Bill 7, the silence of business leaders on Bills 14 & 15 has been noticed. Since it is the claim of Premier Eby that he will not prioritize any major project without First Nations ownership, partnership, or consent, business leaders should be standing against the trampling of First Nations rights.

The Enabling Silence of BC NDP Caucus

The pressure of standing up for First Nations rights cannot land solely on the shoulders of the Indigenous Members of the Legislative Assembly. As someone who navigated that space for seven years, it is a really challenging place to be.

Now is the time for those who call themselves allies in the BC NDP Caucus so show up for First Nations in British Columbia! If you don’t stand up now, you will not have more agency to stand up later.

Specifically, there is a role for three Ministers to defy Premier Eby’s attempt to rip up Indigenous and environmental policy with no regard for the legal, social or environment cost.

This is the moment for Hon. Christine Boyle, Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation, to step into the uncomfortable space. It is easy work to meet with First Nations leaders, share our concerns for the conditions in our communities, pray for our survivors, hold hope for our future generations, and stand smiling for a photo op. We need the Minister for Crown-Indigenous relations to be a courageous leader who will stand up against the unilateral re-writing of the Crown-Indigenous policy by a reckless Premier.

Same goes for Minister of the Environment, Hon. Tamara Davidson, and Minister of Water, Land, and Resource Stewardship, Hon. Randene Neill. This is also a moment of reckoning in your portfolios. British Columbians need you to stand in defence of the environment—the land, water, and biodiversity.

As hard as it is to believe, not all the sinister forces sit on the opposite side. Sometimes the autocrat is in your midst.

The Moment to Act is Now!

If British Columbians don’t act now in defence of our democracy, Bills 14 & 15 set another dangerous precedent of bypassing Indigenous rights and environmental law in favour of centralized power. All British Columbians pay the price for that!

Premier Eby plans on shutting down debate and forcing these bills through the legislative process at the end of May.

Please spread the word to help build the public response to Premier David Eby’s autocratic power grabs. Let the provincial government know that this isn’t just about infrastructure. It’s about trust, transparency, and the future of Crown-Indigenous relations, and democratic accountability, in British Columbia!

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• Talk to your neighbours.

• Write your MLA and copy the Premier and Cabinet Ministers.

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cc.

Premier David Eby - premier@gov.bc.ca
Deputy-Premier Niki Sharma - AG.Minister@gov.bc.ca
Hon. Christine Boyle - IRR.Minister@gov.bc.ca
Hon. Tamara Davidson - ENV.Minister@gov.bc.ca
Hon. Randene Neill - WLRS.Minister@gov.bc.ca