Langley-Abbotsford Conservative candidate Harman Bhangu attends a campaign stop with in Vancouver, on Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

By The Canadian Press

Elections BC allows petition bid for Indigenous law’s repeal to proceed

Aug 27, 2026 | 10:30 AM

VICTORIA — Elections BC says it has granted in-principle approval for a petition to proceed seeking the repeal of British Columbia’s Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act.

The petition’s proponent is Harman Bhangu, transportation critic for the provincial Opposition B.C. Conservatives.

The law, known as DRIPA, is designed to affirm the application of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples into B.C. laws, but has become a flashpoint for critics.

Premier David Eby backed down on a plan to suspend the law in April amid strong opposition from many First Nations leaders who support it.

The petition requires signatures of 10 per cent of voters in all 93 electoral districts by Jan. 25, 2027, to succeed, resulting in referral to the legislature, but is not a binding process.

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Chief electoral officer Shipra Verma says in her reasons for approval that she is satisfied the matter that is within the jurisdiction of the legislature, and the proposed draft bill on the repeal is clear and unambiguous.

The announcement on Thursday says if the petition is referred to the legislative assembly, next steps could include recommending introduction of the draft bill or referring the petition and bill for a vote.

The proposed two-sentence repeal bill says the repeal would come into force upon royal assent.

A B.C. Appeal Court ruling last year found that provincial mining rules were inconsistent with DRIPA, spurring concerns about the broad impact of the legislation.

Elections BC says it has approved 14 initiative petitions since 1995, and only one, the 2010 petition to reverse the harmonized sales tax, met the requirements.

Elections BC allows petition bid for Indigenous law’s repeal to proceed

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