Bill 14

Streamlining infrastructure sidelines Indigenous rights

On May 28, the provincial government passed The Renewable Energy Projects Act (Bill 14) and The Infrastructure Projects Act (Bill 15), much to the dismay of many First Nations and municipalities. The stated goal of these acts was to streamline the approval process to speed up infrastructure and renewable projects. The two BC bills raised alarm bells with their significant concentration of power, with ministers and the government able to sideline Indigenous rights, municipal rights, and environmental regulation. These hastily written bills empower the government to dictate which projects can ignore environmental regulations and First Nations’ sovereignty.  Bill 14 designates…

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