News that the B.C. government and the union have agreed to mediation in an attempt to resolve the strike is positive news. But mediation is not arbitration and any outcome is not binding on either party.

While the citizenry is wearying of this labour dispute, most of us would agree that public service union members deserve a fair settlement to compensate for the purchasing power they have lost in recent years due to inflation.

That said, the unions have to realize, too, that this province is essentially bankrupt. Too generous pay awards will fuel inflation and add to our already unaffordable deficit. Let’s hope that both sides add a little water to their wine and come up with a solution acceptable to all, and sooner rather than later.

David Collins

Victoria

The Oct. 11 column “Proposal to allow secret meetings with First Nations needs a hard look” by Les Leyne warns that the provincial government’s plan to permit in-camera sessions deserves far greater scrutiny.

This troubling lack of transparency in the B.C. government’s approach to Indigenous negotiations was also outlined in a commentary by Geoffrey Moyse, a retired senior legal counsel to the Province of B.C. on Aboriginal law, in his Oct. 17, 2024 commentary “Just what is the hidden NDP agenda on Indigenous reconciliation?” Both writers highlight a growing concern: that reconciliation is being pursued in a way that excludes the public from understanding or evaluating the government’s intentions.

There appears to be no independent oversight, no comprehensive public plan, and little accountability for decisions that will have enormously consequential and lasting effects on land, governance, and resources.

These negotiations must not be shaped by the predilections of a transient government or hidden from those they ultimately affect. Reconciliation requires openness, integrity, and independent scrutiny — not secrecy. The people of British Columbia deserve nothing less.

Donna Neve

Victoria

Re: “Providing a bullhorn to give council feedback,” letter, Oct. 18

It is the “Streisand effect”: Attempted censorship increases awareness. By trying to silence the public, Victoria city council has encouraged comment.

Alanne Gibson

Victoria

Re: “Great marathon, but watch the ­litter,” letter, Oct. 17.

We take........

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