BC NDP faces backlash over major projects legislation

It was a busy year for the BC NDP.

On the one hand, a number of bills were designed to expedite infrastructure projects. On the other hand, the provincial government balanced competing demands in response to the Trump presidency.

“The government is walking a tight rope, in some ways, to demonstrate that they are responding to the crisis of the moment,” said UBC political scientist Stewart Prest.

After a close race in the previous provincial election, the NDP sought to win back the confidence of British Columbians with bold legislation intended to bolster the economy while combating U.S. tariffs and uncertainty surrounding trade.

Bills 7, 14, and 15 were an attempt to streamline decision-making, making it easier to bring projects, such as new schools and hospitals, to the final stages of approval and fast-track natural resource projects. As well, they are intended to help the province respond in real-time to the trade war and any other threats.

Prest says some of those measures prompted significant backlash. He points out the government has had to do multiple things simultaneously, trying to balance changing international circumstances while maintaining commitments relating to democratic governance, Indigenous people, and the environment.

In a statement, the First Nations Leadership Council says Bill 15 signals a potential “backsliding on reconciliation efforts” by the province by dodging public oversight and Indigenous consent processes. Meanwhile, the Conservatives and Greens say it allocates too much power to the government.

In any case, the NDP and leader David Eby are finishing the year strong in the polls, likely taking advantage of all the drama surrounding the provincial Conservatives.