Say no to Eby’s power-grabbing Bill 15 for nature’s sake

Press Release

Overview

Premier David Eby’s power-grabbing Bill 15: The Infrastructure Projects Act could pave the way for major projects to bypass crucial environmental assessment processes, skirt around regulatory oversight, and undermine Indigenous decision-making. The red flags of Bill 15 are not just in what it says, but what it doesn’t say: The bill gives government broad-sweeping discretionary power on “designated projects,” but it doesn’t define what types of projects these will be. The government is effectively giving itself a blank cheque to decide later what projects will be fast-tracked.

Why Bill 15 is so dangerous

Broad powers: Bill 15 grants Cabinet broad, undefined powers to expedite projects without specifying or limiting which projects will be prioritized. This opens the door to harmful developments with significant environmental impacts like mining to be fast-tracked with little consideration of Indigenous governance or public engagement. Projects designated under this bill will be defined later through regulation, but regulatory development is a less transparent process with no oversight from the Legislature.

Environmental protection rollbacks: The bill allows designated projects to bypass key stages of environmental assessments, which could leave ecosystems at risk, increasing the potential for irreversible harm to B.C.’s environment, and skipping mandatory public comment processes.

Ignoring Indigenous rights: Bill 15 could be used to bypass critical processes that enable Indigenous decision-making. The BC government did not properly consult with First Nations on this bill prior to tabling it, undermining commitments to reconciliation.

Vague regulations: Bill 15 leaves too much to be defined by regulations that are created by Cabinet, making it difficult for the public and the Legislature to know how this bill will be used until it’s too late.

Public backlash is already mounting, with municipalities, First Nations, and environmental groups all sounding the alarm. But to protect the most biodiverse province in the country from becoming crossed with hastily approved and environmentally harmful projects, we need a groundswell. That’s why we’re calling on you, our supporters, to act today.

We need your voice

Write to your MLA and tell them to reconsider Bill 15 before they push this bill through the Legislature. The last week of sitting is the week of May 26 and marks the final chance for this bill to be withdrawn. We need to raise our voices by May 23 and demand that the government reconsider this dangerous legislation.

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