Victoria, BC – Lorne Doerkson, Conservative MLA for Cariboo-Chilcotin, raised serious concerns today regarding Bill 14’s unprecedented powers, which allow unelected bureaucrats to indefinitely suspend or cancel guide outfitter, hunting, angling, and other Wildlife Act licenses without hearings.
“The NDP’s Bill 14 grants far-reaching powers to David Eby and his NDP Government Ministers, allowing them to indefinitely suspend or cancel guide outfitter, hunting, angling, and other Wildlife Act licenses without a hearing,” said Doerkson. “There must be limits and protections for guide outfitters, hunters, anglers, and others against NDP government overreach.”
Doerkson highlighted specific concerns with Section 18(1)(d) of Bill 14, emphasizing the lack of clear criteria, no clause for a fair appeal process, and the absence of statutory guarantees for compensation if licenses are suspended indefinitely without a hearing.
“Thousands of jobs and family-owned businesses across BC – and especially in Cariboo-Chilcotin – depend on these licenses,” Doerkson said. “The NDP Government’s refusal to specify limits or protections creates a lot of uncertainty. The NDP Government’s reckless overreach is putting jobs, businesses, and communities at risk. British Columbians deserve better.”
The Conservative Party of BC calls on the provincial government to amend Bill 14 immediately, ensuring protections for licensed hunters, anglers, and guide outfitters, and providing clear guidelines to prevent bureaucratic overreach.
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