What to Expect
The NDP government continues to move forward on implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) by announcing the first consent-based decision-making agreement under B.C.’s UNDRIP legislation between the Tahltan First Nation, Skeena Resources, and the B.C. government. The announcement will be presented as historic in nature and will be the focus of the government this week. With the Legislature on summer break, the government will have a greater ability to choose what is highlighted, and the opposition more limited in setting the political narrative.
The Week That Was
Effective, January 31, 2023, B.C. will be the first province in Canada and the first government in North America to decriminalize possession of small amounts (up to 2.5 grams) of illicit fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, meth, and MDMA.
B.C. is dedicating $2.3 million of provincial funding to support those who face food insecurity via community programs and research initiatives.
The Anti-racism Data Act, introduced on May 2, 2022, came into effect on Thursday. The Act mandates the provincial government collect data that is more considerate of ethnicity.
Due to the rebuilding costs associated with various fires and floods in the province during 2021, a two-year deferment of new school construction will be put in place.
