Schmale repeatedly pushes the government to do more to protect private property rights, arguing they failed to make the case in a key court decision. He presses for clarity and certainty around land title in the wake of that ruling. On indigenous issues, Schmale says Conservatives support self-government and resolving land claims, but with caveats around private property impacts. He also frequently brings up resource development, calling for faster approvals and less red tape to boost jobs and prosperity, especially in the north.
“You say this is a provincial issue. But you asked the Prime Minister about it. You blame the city too. They fought in court for property rights. Why didn't the government fix this?”
“You can't use that argument in court. The government lost its chance. The court took away parts of the Land Title Act. Private property rights in B.C. are undermined. The government can't win with this.”
“I want the government to stop saying Conservatives are fearmongering about property rights. We never said Cowichan band would kick people off their land. We said the decision creates uncertainty in the market. That's true. British Columbia had to step in. The government stopped arguing for fee simple property. The government itself caused this uncertainty.”
“That speech was great. The government says it supports property rights. But they already stopped arguing for those rights in 2018. How can the government win in court with an argument it didn't use before?”
“I want to disagree with my Bloc colleague. I think she's wrong about perception. I want to read some headlines about money lost on projects. I met people who say their property values went down. I think it's because the government didn't do its job. I'm mad the Liberals won't let us debate my motion.”
“You're calling us fearmongers. I'd like to see you tell that to the people who can't refinance their homes and businesses. You think we're making this up? The province had to step in because of you people. You pulled arguments out of the Cowichan case. You signed an agreement without protecting fee simple property. Which part of that is fake news?”
“This government keeps people in the dark and makes decisions behind closed doors. In the Cowichan case, nobody told property owners their rights could be affected. The Musqueam agreement had no consultation with neighboring nations. Canadians deserve better than secret deals and a government that won't tell them what's going on.”
“The government knows there's a lot of uncertainty around land claims. But they didn't protect private property in this agreement. That's making the uncertainty spread. People need to trust that if they buy land and pay their mortgage, the land is really theirs.”
“The government screwed up. It didn't defend property owners in court. Now those owners are losing property rights and their homes are worth less. The government should have shown up to protect them.”
“That is an important question. The government told its lawyers not to argue for property rights in court. Now that the case is at appeal, the government cannot stand up for property rights. The City of Richmond is the only one standing up for property owners in this long trial.”
“I want the government to protect private property rights. The government should make sure fee simple property ownership is not weakened. The government needs to be clear and open about how they will protect land titles. Homeowners and businesses deserve certainty. The government is creating too much uncertainty.”
“You screwed up. You made a deliberate choice not to defend private property rights in 2018. Now it's years later and you can't make the argument you need to win. How do you expect to protect property rights in Richmond with an argument you can't make?”
“I agree. This bill will make things better. Victims need our help.”
“I want to thank the Bloc member for his support on this bill and the previous bill. I miss working with him on the committee. The testimony we heard was traumatic and recent. I want to act now to fix this problem.”
“Thank you for supporting my bill. Survivors showed courage and relived trauma to speak about this. They want to protect future generations. I want to protect future generations too.”
“I want all members to support this bill so we can show we did something about sterilization. We should keep spending money on the issue. The bill provides clarity by making sterilization without valid consent a form of assault, but does not change consent requirements.”
