As the 2024 Provincial Election looms, David Eby & the BC NDP have failed to keep their promises to modernize BC’s wrongful death laws within their 2020-2024 mandate of government.
Not only did they fail to do this, they actively blocked a private members bill brought forth by MLA Mike Bernier of the BC United in May 2024 to modernize these laws.
Meanwhile, John Rustad and the Conservative Party of BC have written a letter stating that they will undertake this modernization if elected. (See embedded letter at bottom of post).
TLDR;
#1 David Eby and the BC NDP promised numerous times to the public via media that it would modernize BC’s wrongful death laws within their 2020-2024 mandate, but failed to do this.
#2 David Eby completely ignores the participants in the Mothers for Justice Memorial Walk (2022 and 2023) who visited his constituency office and posted photos of their wrongfully killed loved ones on the exterior window.
#3 David Eby promised Society President, Michael-James Pennie, an in-person review meeting in January 2024 and then Eby flaked on this meeting.
#4 Multiple Freedom of Information Act requests were made to the Premier’s Office, the Attorney General’s Office, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General. All of these requests are supposed to be responded to within 30 days. However, after nearly a year only the Premier’s Office and Ministry of Finance have complied. The contents of these packages have been entirely redacted.
#5 The BC United put forth a private member’s bill to modernize BC’s wrongful death laws in May of 2024. The BC NDP voted it down, refusing to modernize these laws with some very simple amendments of the existing legislation.
#6 John Rustad and the Conservative Party of BC have written a letter committing to modernizing BC’s wrongful death laws if elected.
#7 Presently BC is still the last remaining province in Canada where human life is worthless and there is no civil justice or accountability when someone is wrongfully killed. Most provinces modernized these laws decades ago.
David Eby and the BC NDP False Promises in Visual Form (Video News Stories)
David Eby and the NDP Government previously claimed to “understand the injustices of the [wrongful death] issue” and they “will be addressing this in the mandate of our government.”
This video offers an excellent overview of the issues with current Wrongful Death laws:
Wrongful death laws in British Columbia need an overhaul according to critics
The most salient portion of this story is at 1 minute 24 seconds into the video, with a statement claiming the NDP Government will address wrongful death law reform during it’s current term.
That was August 2021. The NDP Government had been making such promises since December 2020, whilst David Eby was Attorney-General:
B.C. mom demands justice for daughter who died of infection despite 4 hospital visits in 10 days
Such hollow promises were repeated in the years to come:
14 families launch PSA demanding change to B.C.’s wrongful death laws – 15th February 2021
A Families fight part 2 – It’s too late for our daughter – 19th February 2021
Mother whose daughter died after being turned away from Lion’s Gate ER says system needs to be fixed – 20-Jun-2022
An Ongoing Saga of Broken Promises by David Eby and the BC NDP
Here is a list of written articles where David Eby / the NDP have made claims they are working on updating the Family Compensation Act. This list covers both Eby’s time as Attorney-General and as Premier of BC:
B.C. parents seek the right to sue for wrongful death of children – 25th June 2023
Des familles en deuil veulent être dédommagées après la perte injustifiée d’un être cher – 13th May 2023
(Grieving families seek compensation after wrongful loss of loved ones)
The need for support for families affected by wrongful death legislation in British Columbia – 12th May 2023
‘A Burning Sense of Injustice’ – 25th January 2023
Une mère réclame justice après la mort de son bébé – 2nd November 2022
(Mother seeks justice after baby dies)
The prospect for reform in the Wrongful Death Law in BC after over a century: Fears and hopes – 21st September 2022
What’s a life worth? Death of B.C. toddler in horrific crash raises questions about compensation – 10th August 2021
Daughter said ‘don’t cry, mum’ in haunting last words before dying of infection docs missed THREE times – 19th February 2021
A Families Fight part two – 19th February 2021
Squamish local featured in advocacy campaign on Family Day – 15th February 2021
Grieving families say their lost loved ones are ‘worthless’ under B.C. law, call for changes – 15th February 2021
Mother seeks changes to wrongful death laws, saying daughter died at LGH from undiagnosed infection –7th January 2021
Changes sought after daughter’s death – 7th January 2021
Mother demands justice for daughter who died of infection despite 4 hospital visits in 10 days – 21st December 2020
B.C. mom wants justice after daughter dies from undiagnosed infection, despite multiple hospital visits – 21st December 2020
Driver pays $230 fine nearly 2 years after party bus death – 3rd November 2017
David Eby and the BC NDP Ignore Mothers for Justice Memorial Walk Participants
In 2022 and 2023, bereaved family members participated in the Mothers for Justice Memorial Walks to raise awareness of wrongful death laws and to seek justice for their loved ones. Starting in a Kitsilano park, the memorial walks terminated at David Eby’s constituency office on West Broadway in Vancouver.
March to change B.C.’s wrongful death laws – 7th May 2022
Mothers walk for justice – 13th May 2023
Keeping up the pressure to change law around wrongful deaths – 13th May 2023
The participants of the 2023 Memorial Walk were besmirched on a grand scale: Tributes to their loved ones were ripped off the windows of Eby’s constituency office the morning by staff after the Memorial Walk without any sort of response, or acknowledgement by David Eby.
David Eby’s office, Monday 15th May 2023
David Eby Promises Meetings Then Flakes
On December 8th, 2023, The BC Wrongful Death Law Reform Society President Michael-James Pennie approached Premier David Eby in person at a public location and asked for a meeting to review progress on updating BC’s wrongful death laws. Premier Eby committed to an in person review meeting in January 2024. He asked that Mr. Pennie email him and coordinate the scheduling with Premier office staff.
Although multiple attempts were made to schedule that meeting from December 2023 to March 2024, the Office of the Premier repeatedly stalled and ultimately fobbed off the Society with “Unfortunately, the Premier is unable to meet at this time. We encourage you to open dialogue and work with the Office of the Attorney General regarding modernizing the Family Compensation Act.”
The BC Provincial Government Fails to Comply with Freedom of Information Requests
Multiple Freedom of Information Act requests were made to the following offices for submissions and work being done to modernize BC’s wrongful death laws.
- The Premier’s Office
- The Attorney General’s Office
- Ministry of Finance
- Ministry of Health
- Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General
All of these requests are supposed to be responded to within 30 days. However, after nearly a year only the Premier’s Office and Ministry of Finance have complied. The contents of these packages that were received have been entirely redacted.
Premier’s Office responses PDF: Readers will find a salient piece of information on pages 30 & 31 of this document. Otherwise, much of the rest has been redacted and censored.
Ministry of Finance response PDF: The censoring and redaction of information is even more prevalent in this document. However, readers may be highly interested in page 61, where it is stated “As per our discussions to date, the AG has publicly committed to making changes to the Family Compensation Act before the next general election in 2024.”
“Some information has been withheld pursuant to section(s) 12 (Cabinet and local public body confidences), 13 (Policy advice or recommendations), 14 (Legal advice), 15 (Disclosure harmful to law enforcement), 16 (Disclosure harmful to intergovernmental relations or negotiations), 17 (Disclosure harmful to the financial or economic interests of a public body), 19 (Disclosure harmful to individual or public safety) and 22 (Disclosure harmful to personal privacy) of FOIPPA.”
BC United Tables Private Members Bill to Modernize BC’s Wrongful Death Laws and BC NDP Shut it Down
In May 2024, BC United MLA Mike Bernier tabled a private members bill to modernize BC’s wrongful death laws.
The BC NDP shut it down to prevent this from happening.
John Rustad and the Conservative Party of BC Endorses Wrongful Death Accountability Act
On October 9, 2024, the Conservative Party of BC Leader John Rustad sent a letter to The BC Wrongful Death Law Reform Society President Michael-James Pennie. The letter clearly states an endorsement of the Wrongful Death Accountability Act (WDAA) and the Conservative Party have promised to enact it as a priority in their legislative agenda if they are elected in the 2024 BC Provincial Election.
‘In Their Name’ is the campaign of ‘The BC Wrongful Death Law Reform Society’ – a BC registered non-profit organization comprised of volunteer families who have lost a loved one to wrongful death in BC and were denied access to justice. In response to the biggest human rights issue facing the province today, our goal is to modernize British Columbia’s antiquated wrongful death legislation, which predates confederation (1846). Under current legislation, the value of a human life is measured only by the deceased’s future lost income, so long as they had dependents.