Look at that! Another government that attempted to restrict Freedom of Information, and has since backed down.
Will BC's Bill 9 be next?
#bcpoli
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
Monsieur Valeriote marks French Language Day with a statement en Français! 🥐☕🧑🎨
#bcpoli
Botterell: This is an important moment, to keep the promise of 1992, when a unanimous legislature passed the original FOI Act
There is still time to amend or withdraw Bill 9, and keep Freedom of Information in tact.
#bcpoli
Oh look another primer on Bill 9's FOI Act changes.
wltribune.com/2026/03/11/c...
Full speech is on YouTube now.
youtu.be/d77PeMtJy-I?...
Quoted thread below has all the live-tweeting fun (what do we call live-tweeting on BlueSky?)
HAPPENING NOW: MLA Botterell (who helped write the original Freedom Of Information Act in the 1990s) is speaking in the BC Legislature, opposing proposed changes to the Act (Bill 9, 2026).
Watch live here:
www.youtube.com/live/aPSOGrq...
“That’s a licence to never respond to anything,” said Botterell. At a time when gov has a $13-billion deficit, is cutting jobs and is juggling other pressures and priorities, he continued, “almost any request would unreasonably interfere with your ability to carry out the operations of government.”
"BC Green MLA Rob Botterell, who represents Saanich North and the Islands, said that over three decades successive governments have weakened the law. A lawyer, Botterell led the team that drafted the province’s original freedom of information or FOI law that passed in 1992."
#bcpoli
It’s not just recent court decisions that this government has bungled. The roll-out for changes to the Heritage Conservation Act, the Land Act, even private docks on the Gulf Islands – all have been poorly communicated.
In this moment of increased tension, gov should bring our Province together.
Last year, BC’s Human Rights Commissioner reported a dramatic rise in online racial slurs and threats directed at Indigenous people.
Since the Cowichan and Gitxaala court decisions, scare mongering has proliferated. Indigenous people are being harassed and some fear for their safety.
Today in Question Period, MLA @robbotterell.bsky.social asked what the government is doing to protect the safety of Indigenous people.
It's not enough to condemn the false rhetoric that First Nations are coming for private homes. We need strong provincial leadership and concrete action.
#bcpoli
B.C.’s Freedom of Information law was once considered one of the most open in Canada. But proposed changes in Bill 9 are raising alarms about transparency and government accountability.
We talk to @robbotterell.bsky.social who helped draft the original law in 1991: podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/t...
The BC Greens call on the BC NDP to withdraw Bill 9 or amend it to remove any provisions that reduce openness, and to implement the recommendations of the all-party 2022 Special Committee report.
The amount of information you receive shouldn't depend on who you are or why you want the information.
Freedom of information is the cornerstone of open and accountable democratic government. Journalists, Citizens, Legislators, Non-government organizations -- all rely on it.
Piece by piece, the system has been dismantled—and Bill 9 continues that trend.
It degrades freedom of information under the guise of administrative convenience, making the government both judge and juror over what the public can access. The culture of openness promised in 1992 has been broken.
In 1991, I led the team that drafted BC’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy legislation for the BC NDP government of the day.
The FOI Act was hailed as the most open, balanced, and effective information rights legislation in Canada.
British Columbia’s Freedom of Information system was once considered one of the strongest in the world. It was built on a simple democratic principle: government information belongs to the public.
Amendments in Bill 9 eviscerate freedom of information in BC. Access delayed is access denied.
#bcpoli
BC Green MLA Botterell asks the BC NDP if they will fulfill their promise to protect 30% of BC's land & water by 2030.
#30x30 #bcpoli #bcbiodiversity
Questions include:
-What work is Gov doing to dispel misinformation & facilite public education re: Cowichan Tribes decision, Gitxaala ruling, and DRIPA?
-Dock Management in Gulf Islands
- Joffre Lakes Park misinformation and First Nations support
ICYMI
We've put the full hour of MLA Botterell questioning the Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation on our YouTube channel.
#bcpoli
youtu.be/fqpOzq-lh9Q
File this under #GreensDoingTheWork:
MLA Valeriote introduces an amenment to Bill 3 "to put some boundaries on what this investment fund can be used for." Especially to make sure that it conforms with BC's obligations under the Climate Change Accountability Act.
youtu.be/EUk6Lm4LdzM
MLA Botterell is up in Budget Estimates for the Ministry of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation for the next hour!
Tune in here from about 4:45pm - 5:45pm
www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVHj...
#bcpoli
"B.C. Greens MLA Rob Botterell called the Conservatives’ critique 'irresponsible political theatre,' saying it is unfortunate the agreement was made public in this way, adding that the Musqueam have been clear that they are not trying to take people’s private property away."
#bcpoli
Does BC's Minister of State for AI have a plan?
We've seen the BC NDP's interest in profiting from the AI boom, but what about regulations that protect the public.
Today in Question Period, MLA Valeriote asked for the Minister's plan for artificial intelligence. We weren't reassured.
#bcpoli
My statement in the BC Legislature on the attack in Iran, death and disruption throughout the Middle East, and the fear and anxiety it's causing around the world and here in BC.
youtu.be/Ypfjh9VbIts
#bcpoli
Pleased to see the broad scope of the Coroner's Inquest into events at Tumbler Ridge, in line with our call from Feb. 27.
British Columbians deserve a thorough examination of the contributing factors, and evidence-based recommendations to prevent similar incidents in the future.
#bcpoli
Vancouver General Hospital was given 24 hours notice that Obstetrical care for pregnant patients will be diverted elsewhere.
Diversion can be a matter of life or death. The Ministry of Health is adding pressure to surrounding hospitals, who are already over capacity.
#bcpoli
OpenAI must be part of a fulsome review that respects any criminal investigation and looks across the full scope of what happened on February 10.
We need our governments to act on systemic issues, including any related to a lack of access to mental health supports.
#bcpoli #tumblerridge
This is not about assigning blame. It's about understanding the full spectrum of factors that led to such a devastating event and developing meaningful recommendations to prevent it from happening again. Mental health supports, policing responses, health & housing, firearms access, AI and more.
At the start of this crisis, we said every drug death is a policy failure. A decade in, we must change our language. Every drug death in BC is a policy choice.
#bcpoli
