Eby’s DRIPA Problem Is Now on the Ballot Calendar

Premier David Eby can campaign around DRIPA. He cannot campaign around the calendar.

Elections BC has approved in principle an initiative petition titled “Initiative: Repeal Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act.” The proponent is Harman Bhangu. The stated purpose, according to Elections BC, is to repeal the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act through a draft bill that would come into force on Royal Assent.

That does not mean DRIPA has been repealed. It does not mean the petition will succeed. It does mean the issue is now inside a formal provincial process with dates, rules and public consequences.

The first date is the one Eby’s government should not be allowed to blur: Monday, September 28. Elections BC says individuals or organizations intending to oppose the initiative, conduct initiative advertising, or canvass for signatures must be registered, and that September 28 is the deadline to apply as an official opponent.

The second date is just as politically awkward. Elections BC says the petition will be issued to Bhangu on Monday, October 26, 2026. That is two days after final voting day in the provincial election. Voters are being asked to choose a government before the signature-gathering fight formally begins.

The threshold is steep. Elections BC says the proponent must collect signatures from 10 per cent of registered voters in each of B.C.’s 93 electoral districts. The initiative listing shows the petition due January 26, 2027, while the approval notice says signature sheets must be submitted by January 25. Either way, the next government will face this file almost immediately.

The process is also not automatically binding. Elections BC says a successful petition is referred to the Legislative Assembly for next steps, which can include recommending introduction of the draft bill or referring the petition and bill to an initiative vote. That is exactly why the election-period silence is unacceptable: the Legislature, not a press conference, will ultimately matter.

The NDP’s credibility problem is its own paper trail. In May, Eby and the First Nations Leadership Council said the government would not introduce legislation in the spring session to suspend or amend DRIPA or related Interpretation Act provisions, and committed to work toward solutions “before the fall legislative session.” That fall clock is now colliding with an election clock.

This debate must be handled carefully. It is not an excuse to target Indigenous people or misstate the law. But it is absolutely fair to ask why British Columbians are voting before the premier has clearly explained what he will do next on DRIPA, legal certainty, private-property concerns and the Legislature’s role.

Eby wanted a campaign about mandate. Elections BC has made DRIPA a calendar test. The premier should answer it before voters mark their ballots.