Last week, a private member’s bill introduced in the BC Legislature would have gutted the province’s human rights system. The bill called for repealing the BC Human Rights Code and abolishing the Human Rights Tribunal and Commissioner.
The proposal from Kelowna-Lake Country-Coldstream Tara Armstrong was defeated at first reading, meaning it will not proceed further in the legislative process. However, 37 MLAs voted in favour of the bill, concerning human rights advocates.
"Bills like this used to be beyond the scope of debate," said Ian Bushfield, Executive Director of the BC Humanist Association. "A proposal like this would set British Columbia back to the days when stores closed their doors to Black and Chinese customers, landlords evicted disabled tenants and companies would refuse to hire women."
BC’s Human Rights Code protects people from discrimination in areas such as employment, housing, and services. For example, the law helps ensure tenants cannot be evicted simply because of who they are.
While some MLAs defended their vote on the basis that first-reading defeats are routine, recent legislative practice suggests otherwise. Over the past two years, seven controversial bills were defeated at first reading:
- Fairness in Women’s and Girls’ Sports Act, 2024 (51 to 27)
- Protecting Minors from Gender Transition Act, 2025 (48 to 40)
- Land Acknowledgement Prohibition Act, 2025 (88 to 4)
- Public Flags Display Act, 2025 (73-15)
- Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Statute Repeal Act, 2025 (48-43)
- Post-Secondary Institutions Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Prohibition Act, 2025 (50-41)
- National Day for Truth and Reconciliation Statute Repeal Act, 2025 (86-3)
In this case, a majority of MLAs chose to reject the proposal and prevent it from advancing.
The BC Humanist Association encourages residents to contact their MLAs and share their views about protecting human rights in British Columbia.
Image credit: Wikimedia