The alliance between the New Democrats and the Greens is drawing both praise and worry in northern B.C.
Carrier-Sekani Tribal Council chief Terry Teegee is welcoming the agreement between the two for cooperation in the provincial legislature as it pertains to First Nations while the North Central Local Government Association is concerned northern B.C. will be left out.
On First Nations, the NDP and Greens say both caucuses support adoption of the United Nations' Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and will review policies, programs and legislation to determine how to bring its principles into action.
"It's a good thing," Teegee said Thursday.
Concern has been raised that wholesale adoption of the declaration will effectively grant B.C. First Nations a veto over development of land and resources.
Teegee said veto may not be the right word but added it's "something very similar to veto in terms of, I suppose, negotiation and discussion of how decisions are made."
He said court rulings have already established First Nations as another level of government and it's now a matter of bringing them on board from the outset.
"It really depends on how involved they are," Teegee said.
He said the declaration is about more than land development.
"It addresses social-cultural matters...it's a really comprehensive document," Teegee said.
The NDP and Greens also support adoption of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission calls-to-action and the Tsilhqot'in Supreme Court decision.
The NCGLA, meanwhile, issued a statement Thursday raising concern northern B.C. will be overlooked given that just two of the 10 MLAs in the region are New Democrats and none are Greens.
"John Horgan visited our region only once during the campaign, and now he has fewer MLAs here than he did pre-election," Vanderhoof councillor Brian Frenkel said in the statement. "The Green members represent ridings so far away with such different challenges and opportunities that I'm definitely concerned about the North."
Although sparse in population, the NCGLA stressed the region remains important in other ways, saying it accounts for 80 per cent of provincial exports, 80 per cent of B.C.'s agricultural lands and 60 per cent of its indigenous population.
"Legislative change, electoral change, the cancellation of some projects and introduction of others can all have a disproportionate effect on many of our communities," NCGLA president Shaely Wilbur said.
"And things like job losses, resource allocation, and infrastructure needs in the North actually end up affecting the whole province."
Wilbur said she would welcome a visit from Horgan and B.C. Green leader Andrew Weaver "to learn about our priorities and perspectives."
