MLA’s bill to repeal DRIPA dismissed after first reading

VICTORIA, B.C. — The MLA for Peace River North’s bill to rescind B.C.’s Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA) has been dismissed after its first reading.

Six years ago to the month, in November 2019, DRIPA established the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples as B.C.’s framework for reconciliation.

On November 19th, 2025, Jordan Kealy made the first reading of his Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Statute Repeal Act in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia.

Energeticcity.ca has reached out to Treaty 8 First Nations for their reaction to the move. 

“I speak to this bill from the heart and with sincerity,” Kealy started. 

“Reconciliation matters, respect matters, partnership matters. But DRIPA, as implemented, is dividing people at a time when we need unity. It is pulling this province apart when we should be building something stronger together. 

“…Families, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, are trying to plan their lives in a system clouded with uncertainty.

“Land decisions are inconsistent, processes are tangled, ministries are operating under conflicting expectations, meetings are happening behind closed doors, transparency is missing and trust is eroding.”

He alleged DRIPA is “causing real harm” by “straining relationships, slowing essential projects and undermining confidence in government.” 

The bill was defeated by 48 to 43 in a subsequent vote and will not move to a second reading. 

Kealy then took to Twitter to condemn the outcome. 

“They refused to even look at the bill, refused to even hear what the public has been saying and refused to even let the people of British Columbia understand what the bill actually contained,” Kealy wrote. 

This came shortly before Kealy called for DRIPA to be repealed in a press release sent to the media.