Independent Vancouver-Quilchena MLA Dallas Brodie is pushing back in the legislature after tax relief bill tabled last week for was killed in the legislature Monday, following accusations it could infringe on Indigenous rights.

The private members bill, titled Tax Relief and Tariff Defence Act, was intended to have its second reading on April 14. Instead, B.C. NDP’s Mike Farnworth intervened first, requesting that the Speaker rule the proposed legislation out of order.

“No government, including this government, may simply override rights of Indigenous people in this province,” Farnworth stated.

He also pointed to a section of the Constitution Act that requires bills that affect the Constitution to be brought forward by the government rather than a private member.

Brodie’s former colleague, Conservative MLA for Kamloops Centre Peter Milobar, was next to speak. After agreeing with Farnworth’s position, Milobar argued that the bill was of a lower threshold of importance and an inefficient use of legislative time.

“Private members’ time is very important but so is maintaining the integrity of our democratic processes and ensuring that the time is being used to bring forth legislation — that can be lawfully advanced,” Milobar stated.

Brodie and Milobar served together in the Conservative Party of B.C. until last month, when party leader John Rustad banned Brodie from caucus.

The decision came after publicly affirming that, despite widespread misinformation, zero bodies have actually been discovered at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School — located in Milobar’s riding of Kamloops Centre.

In the legislature, Brodie firmly denied claims that her bill violated the Constitution or Indigenous rights.

“First of all, nothing in this bill affects any provision of the Constitution Act of Canada and it does not infringe Indigenous rights,” Brodie refuted in the legislature.

“This bill specifically says that it does not infringe on any Aboriginal as contained in section 35 of the Constitution Act of Canada. We have also consulted with one of Canada’s leading Aboriginal law scholars when drafting this bill which, by the way, does meet high thresholds,” said Brodie.

The Speaker ultimately agreed with the objections and ruled the bill out of order, preventing it from reaching second reading.

Rebel News sat down with Brodie shortly after the ruling to discuss what she had hoped the bill would accomplish for British Columbians, and to get her reaction to claims that the proposed legislation could have given government sweeping powers comparable to Premier David Eby’s controversial Tariff Response Act, also known as Bill 7.

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