Elections BC clears petition process seeking repeal of DRIPA

Elections BC has approved in principle an initiative petition application from Harman Bhangu, the Conservative Party of BC MLA for Langley-Abbotsford, seeking to repeal British Columbia’s Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, or DRIPA.

The proposed measure is titled the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Repeal Act, 2026. Signature collection is to begin Oct. 26, 2026, and continue for 90 days, with completed sheets due to Elections BC by Jan. 25, 2027.

To succeed, registered canvassers must collect signatures from at least 10 per cent of registered voters in each of B.C.’s 93 electoral districts. The required number will be set when the petition is issued, and only voters registered by Oct. 26 will be eligible to sign.

Meeting the signature threshold would not automatically repeal DRIPA. Elections BC would verify the signatures and forward the petition and draft bill to the legislature, where a committee could recommend introducing it or putting it to a provincewide vote. Repeal would require passage by the legislature and royal assent.

Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation Minister Spencer Chandra-Herbert criticized the proposal, saying partnerships with First Nations are supporting jobs and $88 billion in proposed major projects. B.C. enacted DRIPA unanimously in November 2019, becoming the first jurisdiction in Canada to legislate the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.