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Premier David Eby’s NDP government has again sparked controversy regarding land rights in British Columbia, further eroding property rights in the province.

Eby’s caucus, despite publicly claiming to defend British Columbians in the Cowichan Tribes v. Canada “land-grab” case, unanimously voted last week to defeat a bill that would have reinforced the very rights they purport to protect.

The OneBC Party and B.C. Conservatives introduced the Property Rights Protection Act, a private member's bill, to reinforce property rights for all British Columbians, opposing the NDP's race-based politics.

“Every homeowner, every farmer, every business owner in this province deserves to know that their land title is secure,” Brodie said when introducing the bill. “This government has tied our laws to the United Nations instead of standing up for British Columbians.”

The proposed legislation would have repealed DRIPA, the law that led to land-title issues in Richmond after the B.C. Supreme Court declared Aboriginal title over private land.

Passed in 2019, DRIPA legally binds the province to align all its laws with UNDRIP, a United Nations framework asserting Indigenous peoples' right to traditionally owned lands, territories, and resources.

Brodie’s bill would have compelled the attorney general to defend property owners, requiring consultation before government decisions affecting private land, and affirmed existing Aboriginal or treaty rights under Section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982.

The bill failed amid public outcry, especially after the Cowichan Tribes' decision, with some suggesting the NDP poorly defended against the claims. 

Richmond's lawyer, Tony Capuccinello Iraci, called for residents to pressure Attorneys General Niki Sharma and Sean Fraser to back an appeal against the court's ruling of Aboriginal title over fee-simple land, stating government lawyers were "handcuffed."

On Thursday, Attorney General Niki Sharma voted down Dallas Brodie's Property Rights Protection Act, two days after vowing to fight for B.C. homeowners in the Cowichan appeal.

Sharma pledged to support concerned citizens and fight for them during the appeal process. However, two days later, she clapped in the legislature as Brodie's Property Rights Protection Act was defeated before its First Reading.

Sharma pledged support for citizens during the appeal process, yet applauded two days later as the Property Rights Protection Act was defeated in the legislature before its First Reading.

“If this government truly cared about protecting British Columbians, they would’ve voted in favour of this bill. But instead, they’ve chosen to protect their political narrative over the rights of everyday citizens,” Brodie told Rebel News after the bill was killed.

🚨BREAKING: The NDP voted down the Property Rights Protection Act before even hearing what was in it!

This comes on the heels of last night’s meeting in Richmond where residents packed a hall to demand answers about what Aboriginal title means for private property.

The BCNDP… pic.twitter.com/w9lrfLnqRF

— Harman Bhangu (@HarmanBhanguBC) October 29, 2025

In a separate statement, B.C. Conservative MLA Harman Bhangu stated the NDP's rejection of the bill reveals the party's "deep hypocrisy."

“They claim they’re defending homeowners and farmers from losing their land, but when they’re given a chance to actually do something about it, they vote against it,” Bhangu stated. “British Columbians should be very worried about what this means for their property rights going forward.”

Richmond property owners may already be seeing these warnings come true.