Premier David Eby’s plummeting approval numbers aren’t the only figures the NDP government needs to worry about when it comes to the backlash over Indigenous reconciliation and private property rights. Many B.C. businesses are reporting they plan to scale back operations due to the conflict as well.
Almost 74 per cent of B.C. businesses plan to decrease investment due to uncertainty over the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, according to a new survey of senior executives Wednesday by the Business Council of B.C.
The majority cite increased time, cost, complexity or uncertainty in permitting caused by the court rulings, policy flips and changing landscape around the NDP’s DRIPA. As many as one-third said they plan to reduce hiring.
“The desire to work with Indigenous communities to create prosperity for all remains strong but the message from business leaders is clear: DRIPA isn’t working,” said BCBC president Laura Jones.
The Business Council found 98 per cent of its members do not believe DRIPA had helped “create further certainty for investment” as Premier John Horgan promised when he passed the law in 2019. And 90 per cent believe it should be repealed or amended.
The plunge in business confidence is almost as steep as the freefall the premier and government find themselves in amongst voter opinion.
Eby’s approval rating has plummeted 20 percentage points in the past year to sit at 33 per cent—his lowest, by far, since taking office in 2022, according to new figures by the Angus Reid Institute.
Read the full article at Business in Vancouver: Businesses pulling investment from B.C. over DRIPA uncertainty, poll finds