Northern Beat Weekly 28
A daft announcement, an epic battle and a generous helping of satire
Hi everyone,
Get ready to spring forward your clocks this weekend and then… never touch them again.
At least that was the headline BC Premier David Eby hoped would dominate the news cycle when he kicked off the week inexplicably surrounded by children celebrating his government’s daylight savings time announcement by dancing to a song by Daft Punk’s “One More Time.”
The surreal highly choreographed event was apparently an attempt to divert attention from the all-around disastrous reception to the NDP’s provincial budget. But the diversion took a hard turn off a cliff in the Q & A portion of the press conference when the premier was asked about the Musqueam rights recognition agreement, signed with the federal government last month.
For the Eby government, and anyone else hoping to understand when and what Eby and his Indigenous Relations minister actually knew about the Musqueam deal, the week careened downhill from there.
Also on this week’s menu is the battle of the five armies DRIPA-style, a podcast with another BC Conservative leadership candidate, some labour news and more.
As a bonus, we’ve also taken a bit of artistic licence with an imaginative reinterpretation of the Musqueam debacle in a special feature entitled This Week in Satire.
All this and more in the newsletter below.
Thanks for reading, and make sure you subscribe!
- Rob Shaw and Fran Yanor
Northern Beat Roundup
Take cover BC, the ‘battle of the five armies’ over DRIPA has begun
The political version of Tolkien’s “battle of the five armies” over the treasure of land, riches and resources is unfolding in real time in BC, where armies are assembling and battle lines are being drawn over the fate of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA), writes Geoff Moyse. [Read More]
PODCAST: Iain Black
Iain Black has so many concerns with how the province of BC is being governed, he’s jumped back into the political fray to do something about it. Black sat down with Nothern Beat to talk about his candidacy for BC Conservative leader and his plan for what he’ll do if he wins. [Read More]
The Legislature
BC springs forward for the last time or maybe time will become a flat circle
The BC NDP government announced a permanent shift to Daylight Saving Time announced this week—a decision that reeked of political desperation but nonetheless also has a significant impact on the lives of British Columbians.
BC will call this new permanent time “Pacific Time.” It means from March to November BC will remain one hour behind Alberta, but then will be on the same time from November to March.
Planning a trip to Washington State, California or Oregon? You’ll be in the same time zone from March to November. Crossing the border during the rest of the year will see you hurtled backwards in time one hour.
Confused? You’re not alone.
Northeastern BC residents will stay on Mountain Standard Time and, in effect, be in alignment with the rest of the province under the new permanent DST.
Southeastern BC residents in the East Kootenays and Golden areas will continue to switch to mountain time alongside Alberta. Unless, of course, any of those local regions choose to opt into the new time zone. Which they can, without provincial approval. Thereby changing things again.
Clear?
The Premier claimed his government was doing this because British Columbians wanted it, pointing to a 2019 survey that indicated a bare majority were in favour of staying on DST. What he failed to mention was a majority only wanted to make the change if surrounding jurisdictions did as well.
Eby argued that the current geopolitical tensions with the United States changed the decision matrix and his government now just needed to give British Columbians what they wanted.
But the real catalyst for this sudden decision was the NDP government trying to change the channel on its dismal provincial budget, with some sort of policy it expected would be popular.
Government did succeed in deflecting attention from its universally panned budget, but only by drawing fresh fire to itself on the reconciliation file.
Musqueam Mess
The question of who knew what, and when, turned into a multi-day political fiasco this week, as the premier and his Indigenous Relations minister bombarded legislators and the public with a contorted stream of misleading denials over the rights and title agreement Musqueam signed with Ottawa on Feb. 20.
Opposition and the media grilled Eby and Spencer Chandra Herbert on their knowledge of the deal which references Musqueam’s asserted territory. spanning much of Metro Vancouver.
The agreement landed during a time of heightened public anxiety over how Aboriginal title affects private property rights, particularly in the wake of last summer’s Cowichan Tribes court ruling.
While technically a federal matter, some critics say the agreement also covers Crown provincial lands. Either way, the BC government seemed specifically cut out of negotiations by Ottawa even though the rights and title do cover parts of the province’s most populous city and nearby waters.
Mainly, Eby and his minister drew criticism for their blatant contortions of the truth. First, the premier alleged he knew nothing about the agreement and had “no line of sight” on what was in it. Less than 24 hours later, photos emerged showing him in attendance at the signing event with a literal line of sight from the front row.
Eby then alleged he had not been briefed by Ottawa, a claim publicly contradicted by the federal Crown-Indigenous Reconciliation minister who said the BC government had been briefed weeks prior.
The premier and his minister ultimately settled on a classic crisis managememt comms strategy that blamed a mysterious, unnamed “junior staffer” who took the call from Ottawa and failed to pass it up the chain. Expressing deep disappointment at this miscommunication, the premier and minister then tried to wash their hands of the whole affair.
But instead, they spent the rest of the week getting pummelled by Opposition leader Trevor Halford and Indigenous Relations critic Scott McInnis during a series of remarkably effective question periods and ministry estimates debates.
“The premier must have been a really good dodgeball player, because he’s exceptional at dodging the questions,” McInnis noted during one exchange. “This is a dire situation. We have seen that this premier has not been forthright and honest with British Columbians.”
McInnis, a former teacher, knows a phys-ed skill when he sees it, because Eby promptly dodged the question, deflecting to the death threats he said the Musqueam chief had received over the publicity.
The federal government said little, other than that it was a general agreement on Aboriginal rights and title with the expectation of having future negotiations on how to apply it to the most populated area in the province.
Tumbler Ridge and OpenAI
The CEO of tech giant OpenAI has agreed to apologize to the people of Tumbler Ridge for his company’s failure to alert police to violent scenarios the school shooter described to ChatGPT in the months leading up to the tragedy. CEO Sam Altman, a leading figure in global AI movement, will issue an apology after consulting with Tumbler Ridge’s mayor on the best way to do it, Premier David Eby said after a virtual meeting with Altman on Thursday.
What exactly did the shooter tell ChatGPT, and did the AI service inadvertently help facilitate a mass murder last month? It’s an unanswered question Eby said. BC’s chief coroner Jatinder Baidwan announced this week he’ll examine the issue as part of a coroner’s inquest.
A coroner’s inquest convenes a jury of laypeople to hear evidence and issue non-binding recommendations to prevent similar future deaths. It usually takes two to three weeks. It’s a far cry from the public inquiry Tumbler Ridge’s MP and MLA are demanding.
That public inquiry process is much more comprehensive, with the ability to subpoena witnesses under oath and force the disclosure of documents. But they are notoriously slow and expensive. The last public inquiry examined money laundering, and took three years, costing more than $18 million. An inquiry can sometimes take so long that public and political interest in making change has waned by the investigation is concluded.
“We welcome the announcement of a coroner’s inquest, but it does not prevent the need for a public inquiry,” said Opposition mental health critic Claire Rattée. “A public inquiry can establish facts, identify failures, and deliver recommendations that will affect change.”
It would also examine repeated failures in multiple provincial systems and laws within Eby’s jurisdiction, a scenario the premier would likely prefer to avoid. Eby is calling for federal regulations that would force AI companies to alert police to violent scenarios. A move, some critics have warned will result in over-reporting, and drown already understaffed law enforcement and social service agencies in false alarms.
Federal AI Minister Evan Solomon said he’s considering an AI regulatory framework.
And then there were nine
The BC Conservative Party has finished vetting leadership applicants. The final roster of approved candidates is Bruce Banman, Harman Bhangu, Iain Black, Caroline Elliott, Kerry-Lynne Findlay, Yuri Fulmer, Warren Hamm, Darrell Jones, and Peter Milobar.
Two candidates failed to sign up the required 250 members. Prince George MLA Sheldon Clare said he mistakenly used signatures from some former and ineligible members and Richmond-Queensborough MLA Steve Kooner bowed out.
The stakes are getting expensive. A far, each of the nine candidates paid a $5,000 application fee and now must submit a $20,000 compliance deposit. In early April, more than $100,000 in fees will come due in two instalments, which may prompt more candidates to drop out. The party takes 20 per cent cut of all candidate fundraising to help stockpile its election readiness war chest.
On the endorsement front, Milobar picked up support from two more MLAs this week: Linda Hepner and Ian Paton. That brings Milobar’s MLA endorsement total to seven. The only other caucus member to endorse a candidate is Richmond-Bridgeport MLA Theresa Watt, who endorsed Black.
Teachers ink new contract with government
The BC NDP’s ultra-expensive collective bargaining strategy continues to roll along, with the typically militant BC Teachers’ Federation ratifying a new deal.
The BCTF is historically the hardest union to lock down, and the most prone to strike. Yet, 91 per cent of voting members supported this collective agreement, which includes a general wage increase of more than 12 per cent over four years, plus improvements to counsellors, special education resources, prep time and rural supports.
Roughly half the 450,000 public sector employees now have new contracts, relying on a baseline 3 per cent annual wage increase that BCGEU won during its record eight-week string last fall. The largest remaining groups include the BC Nurses’ Union, Doctors of BC, education support staff, community social services, and post-secondary and research university faculty and staff groups.
The costs of all this labour peace are significant. Government’s original offer of 3.5 per cent over two years would have cost provincial coffers almost $2 billion. The sweeter labour terms brought a cumulative price tag of closer to $16 billion over four years, a considerable impact on the provincial budget with its record $13.3 billion deficit.
New bill proposes opening up bidding on public projects
Kiel Giddens introduces a private members bill to open up the bidding process on public construction projects. Under the current rules, introduced under former premier John Horgan’s government, only a specific list of unions can bid on public projects, which often translates into less benefits to the communities where these projects are happening. Allowing open bidding could have a particularly outsized impact on a rural economy.
Limiting who can bid on contracts isn’t fair to British Columbians waiting for hospitals, schools, and roads in a climate of labour shortages, cost overruns, and delayed projects,” wrote Giddens in a social media post.
”Cost overruns on capital projects have grown to more than $17 billion and projects are a combined 158 years behind schedule under the NDP government.”
Special Feature
This Week in Satire
By Northern Beat’s satirist-in-residence
Reporter: Mr. Premier, what do you know about the agreement signed 10 days ago between the federal government and Musqueam which recognizes Aboriginal title somewhere within the group’s huge asserted territory covering much of Metro Vancouver?
Premier: I heard something about that, but don’t know anything myself. Wasn’t briefed. Maybe someone was briefed, but I wasn’t. I’ll have to look into that. Sometime. Definitely.
Premier [one hour later]: Oh, yeah, I forgot, I was at the ceremony celebrating the signing of that agreement. But I was there as an MLA, not the premier. I was introduced as the MLA from Vancouver-Point Grey and everyone just called me MLA Eby. Anyway, it was all hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ to me. I had no idea what it was about. Still don’t. I haven’t read the agreement, you know. And for sure i wasn’t briefed.
Opposition [next day]: You sat in the front row at the signing ceremony, next to the federal minister who signed the agreement. The same minister who says your government was briefed on the agreement weeks prior. You’re the premier—how could you attend without getting briefed?
Premier: I was so honoured to be asked to attend. But I had no idea what i was was seeing. I must’ve zoned out when each of the dignitaries took turns explaining what the agreement was and why it was meaningful. You know how it is, reconciliation-this, reconciliation-that. To be honest, i thought maybe it just a really long land acknowledgement. I didn’t want to ruin the vibe by asking questions.
Opposition [another day]: You would think, if a premier attends a signing ceremony and at the end still didn’t know anything about it, he would say, ‘I should probably figure out what I just witnessed. If I don’t have a briefing, I should probably ask for one. Or maybe I should call my minister of Indigenous Relations.’ No wait, scratch that, your minister only knows what you tell him to know.
Premier: I’d rather talk about things unrelated to my own behaviour. Like how the chief didn’t need to apologize for inviting me to the signing ceremony celebrating the contents of an agreement i’m still pretending to know nothing about.
Opposition: You must’ve been great at dodgeball.
[Premier drops, fakes left, veers right. A smattering of NDP caucus members clap politely]
Opposition: But really, when did you learn about the Musqueam agreement? Like, really, truly?
Premier: I keep telling you, it had nothing to do with me. I was just there as a witness, and I forgot to mention I also had my AirPods in. I may have nodded when speaking one-on-one with the chief and federal minister, but I was just being polite. I could not hear a word they were saying. Honest.
Green Party [interrupts]: “I’m going to move us along from this repetitive anti-reconciliation gotcha politics” [actual question period quote] to talk about how fast the world is changing and why we should be scared.
Opposition [last day]: We need leadership. Will you meet with the Musqueam and the federal government to figure out the implications of this agreement so you can tell the public what’s going on in their city and province?
Premier: As if. Instead, I’m going to avoid your question and twist the words of your colleague to make it sound like he agrees with what we’re doing, even though we’re doing pretty much everything on this file in secret so no one actually knows what we’re doing.
Opposition: When will the premier take responsibility for his actions and stop lying.
Speaker: Uh-ah, member. No calling out a lie.
Opposition: Oh, sorry. How about, the premier is misleading the public.
Speaker: Not nice.
Opposition: OK, pretend I never said that. But keep it in Hansard, because we all know it’s true.
Speaker: Much better.
Jo/anne Public: Mr. Premier, you know how worried we are about our homes after the Cowichan finding of Aboriginal title on private property, and now this. Our financial solvency is literally in your hands. So please please please tell us what’s in the Musqueam agreement? What does a “rights recognition” agreement covering almost all of Metro Vancouver mean for landowners?
Premier: Is that what it’s called?
J. Public: Remember when you said you would “go to the wall” for private property?
Premier: I said that?
Quote of the Week:
“So we are to believe that the Premier of this province just randomly walked into a signing ceremony and had zero idea what was going on. Give me an absolute break. We’re not buying that. Neither is British Columbia. Either this is one of the highest levels of incompetency we’ve seen from this Premier, or even worse, he has chosen not to be upfront in this House or outside of this House on important issues when it comes to First Nations deals. It’s that simple.” Opposition Conservative leader Trevor Halford, in question period, on the Musqueam Aboriginal title agreement, March 3, 2026.
Closing
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