British Columbia’s NDP Leader David Eby is standing by his government’s draft plans to regulate compensation for forest companies during land transfers to First Nations communities.
Leaked confidential papers released by the online publication Northern Beat reveal that Eby’s administration intended to hand over approximately 400 parcels of Crown land to Indigenous groups, with a provision to limit compensation for timber rights-holding companies affected by these transfers.
Eby asserts that these transfers align with historical treaties and reconciliation commitments, some of which have been in place for many years. The proposed legislation aimed to streamline processes and minimize expenses for taxpayers.
The leaked documents highlight that existing laws mandate compensation for forestry companies, but due to financial constraints, full compensation would impede the land transfer progress significantly.
According to a representative for Eby’s campaign, the draft legislation introduces restrictions on compensation, specifying that holders of less than five percent of the logging rights on transferred land would not receive any compensation at all.
These revelations surfaced just before the provincial election on Oct. 24, catching many off guard as the NDP’s platform made no public mention of these intentions. Forest industry players were required to sign non-disclosure agreements to access the details.
Eby defends the necessity of such agreements, citing industry norms, and denies any claims of secrecy. The campaign’s spokesperson clarifies that while stakeholders engagement was authorized by the cabinet in July, the proposal remained in draft form and not final legislation.
