The B.C. government will not back down on its controversial bill to fast-track infrastructure projects, despite being on a collision course with First Nations leaders.

Premier David Eby confirmed he still intends to pass Bill 15 this month, following an hour-long meeting with Indigenous organizations who complained of a lack of proper consultation.

“The bill is going ahead,” Eby told me in an interview Thursday.

“It's a critical bill for government, and it's a confidence bill. And the reason is pretty straightforward. We need to build the schools and hospitals and roads for a fast-growing province.”

That isn’t sitting well with B.C.’s three largest First Nations organizations, who were not consulted to co-develop the legislation as part of government’s usual practice since it passed UNDRIP into law in 2019.

They met with Eby Wednesday evening and on Thursday to call on the premier to withdraw the bill and start over to address concerns using respectful dialogue.

“If we sit down and go through the processes that we set up, I do believe we can fix this,” said Robert Phillips, political........

© BIV