B.C. saw a rare unanimous vote in its legislature in October 2019, when members passed a law adopting the United Nations Declarations on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, setting out standards including free, prior and informed consent for actions affecting them.

The law 91裸聊视频渇undamentally changed the relationship91裸聊视频� between First Nations and the province, said Terry Teegee, regional chief of the B.C. Assembly of First Nations.

91裸聊视频淩ather than having some sort of consultation, right now we91裸聊视频檙e actually talking about shared decision-making,91裸聊视频� Teegee said in an interview.

John Rustad threw his support behind the legislation as a member of the Official Opposition B.C. Liberal Party, but as the B.C. Conservative leader he has since signalled his intention to 91裸聊视频渞epeal91裸聊视频� the law if his party wins the Oct. 19 provincial election.

Rustad said in a statement on the Conservatives91裸聊视频� website last February, that the UN declaration, known as UNDRIP, was 91裸聊视频渆stablished for conditions in other countries 91裸聊视频� not Canada.91裸聊视频�

Teegee said Rustad was 91裸聊视频渃reating enemies91裸聊视频� with First Nations.

91裸聊视频淎s we come to Sept. 30, he91裸聊视频檚 repealing, in a way, reconciliation,91裸聊视频� Teegee said in an interview ahead of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. 91裸聊视频淗e91裸聊视频檚 undoing a lot of the good work that many people in this province have worked toward.91裸聊视频�

B.C.91裸聊视频檚 legislation adopts the declaration as the framework for reconciliation and charts a path for the province to negotiate agreements with First Nations aimed at establishing shared decision-making in their territories.

It has led to changes in provincial laws related to land management, including mining and forestry, and it has helped facilitate progress in returning jurisdiction to First Nations over the welfare of their children, Teegee said.

Unravelling the nearly five-year-old legislation would set reconciliation back in B.C., he said, leaving First Nations without a forum to hold constructive discussions about the recognition of land rights and shared decision-making with the province.

91裸聊视频淚 think it (would) bring us back to 40 years ago, maybe even longer, when the first court cases began by the Nisga91裸聊视频檃 and Calder,91裸聊视频� he said, referring to a landmark case that led to the Supreme Court of Canada recognizing Aboriginal title in 1973.

91裸聊视频淚f we91裸聊视频檙e at odds with each other, then many First Nations will continue to do what they did before, (which) was to go to court,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淚t leaves a lot of uncertainty.91裸聊视频�

The Canadian Press requested an interview with Rustad related to his stance on B.C.91裸聊视频檚 declaration legislation, but did not receive follow up to arrange a call.

Conservative candidate A91裸聊视频檃liya Warbus, a member of the Sto:lo Nation, said asking Rustad about the declaration was 91裸聊视频渢op of mind91裸聊视频� when she first met him.

91裸聊视频淲hat the heck? Why would we take this legislation? We fought hard, Indigenous communities, for our rights and recognition of those rights, and upholding social determinants of health in our communities, and this legislation helps us do that.91裸聊视频�

But Warbus, who is running in Chilliwack-Cultus Lake, said she was 91裸聊视频渞eally satisfied91裸聊视频� with her conversation with Rustad.

She said Rustad 91裸聊视频渆xplained91裸聊视频� that adopting an international framework such as UNDRIP wasn91裸聊视频檛 the right fit for B.C.91裸聊视频檚 context, with more than 200 unique First Nations and vast traditional territories that aren91裸聊视频檛 covered by treaties.

Warbus said B.C.91裸聊视频檚 declaration legislation is 91裸聊视频�97 per cent good,91裸聊视频� but the application of free, prior and informed consent had not been settled in the province.

She pointed to conflict over the Coastal GasLink pipeline in northwestern B.C.

Opposition among Wet91裸聊视频檚uwet91裸聊视频檈n hereditary chiefs to the 670-kilometre pipeline sparked rallies and rail blockades across Canada in 2020, while the elected council of the Wet91裸聊视频檚uwet91裸聊视频檈n First Nation and others nearby had agreed to the project.

91裸聊视频淭hat was a key example of how free, prior, informed consent, without definition, doesn91裸聊视频檛 tell us who gets to make that decision at the end of the day,91裸聊视频� Warbus said.

The 670-kilometre pipeline was mechanically completed in November 2023 and an update posted to the project website in June says the focus had turned to the safe operation of the pipeline system as well as cleanup and reclamation work.

91裸聊视频淭here91裸聊视频檚 no impetus from me or the party to go backwards on reconciliation at all,91裸聊视频� said Warbus, whose father is former B.C. lieutenant-governor Steven Point.

The switch in Rustad91裸聊视频檚 stance on the declaration came as he was speaking out against proposed changes to B.C.91裸聊视频檚 Land Act, which have since been scrapped.

The Conservative statement last February starts by saying the changes were an 91裸聊视频渁ssault91裸聊视频� on private property rights and the right to access shared Crown land.

91裸聊视频淐onservatives will defend your rights to outdoor recreation 91裸聊视频� and your water access, as well as B.C.91裸聊视频檚 mining, forestry, agriculture sectors and every other land use right,91裸聊视频� said the statement posted by Rustad.

A provincial consultation presentation said the proposed changes would have opened the door for shared decision-making under the Land Act, but nothing would require the province to enter into such an agreement with a First Nation.

91裸聊视频淭he public interest will be a critical part of any provincial government decision to enter into a negotiation of an agreement,91裸聊视频� the slide deck said.

The B.C. government announced later in February it was dropping the plan.

At the time, the minister of water, land and resource stewardship, Nathan Cullen, issued a statement saying 91裸聊视频渟ome figures (had) gone to extremes to knowingly mislead the public about what the proposed legislation would do.91裸聊视频�

Cullen said he spoke with many people during the consultation process who were 91裸聊视频渟urprised to learn that the claims being made 91裸聊视频� were not true and that there would be no impacts to tenures, renewals, private properties or access to Crown land.91裸聊视频�

B.C. Indigenous leaders, including Teegee, have said Rustad was making false statements about the province91裸聊视频檚 plan and stoking anti-Indigenous sentiment.

In an interview, Teegee said Rustad was engaging in 91裸聊视频渇ear mongering91裸聊视频� and using First Nations as a 91裸聊视频渨edge issue91裸聊视频� for political gain ahead of the election.

91裸聊视频淚 don91裸聊视频檛 think he can be trusted.91裸聊视频�

Rustad led the Ministry of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation in Christy Clark91裸聊视频檚 Liberal government, the department was then called Aboriginal Relations,and his statement in February says he signed 435 agreements with First Nations during his tenure as minister.

91裸聊视频淭hrough this economic reconciliation, we saw First Nations communities rise up from impoverished conditions and truly begin to thrive,91裸聊视频� the statement says.

Teegee, however, said many of the First Nations leaders who signed agreements during that time would have 91裸聊视频減lugged their nose and signed them.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频淪ome of those First Nations signed them under duress and put that in their agreement themselves. I know my nation did, stating that this wasn91裸聊视频檛 accommodation,91裸聊视频� said Teegee, a member of the Talka Nation in northern B.C. who previously served as tribal chief of the Carrier Sekani Tribal Council.

When asked about criticism of Rustad by other Indigenous leaders, Warbus said it91裸聊视频檚 91裸聊视频渁ll the more reason to work with him, all the more reason to be directly involved.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频淚 feel strongly that Indigenous people need to be inside, involved on the ground, at the legislature level, and that is why I91裸聊视频檓 doing this,91裸聊视频� she added.