Former BC Liberal MLA Abbott named to province's First Nations treaty commission
George Abbott, who represented the Shuswap riding for 17 years, has been named as a new commissioner at the BC Treaty Commission.
Abbott was first elected in 1996 and held several cabinet positions under former BC Liberal premiers Gordon Campbell and Christy Clark, including as minister of Aboriginal relations and reconciliation from 2009 to 2010.
Current B.C. Indigenous Relations Minister Christine Boyle says in a statement that the appointment reflects Abbott's track record as a "seasoned diplomat who has significant experience of working with First Nations" as well as other local stakeholders.
Abbott, who will serve a two-year term, is replacing commissioner Angela Wesley, who is serving her third term on the commission after initially being appointed in December 2018.
The former provincial legislator also served as chair for the non-profit Institute for Health System Transformation and Sustainability until December and sits as board chair at regulatory body Technical Safety BC.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 19, 2025.
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Bruske noted that the government used the labour code to force the Canadian Union of Postal Workers to vote on an offer from Canada Post, an offer the workers rejected. Canada Post and the union returned to the bargaining table Wednesday. "The labour movement is going to be with them no matter what they choose to do," Bruske said. She said the Canadian Labour Congress and its affiliate unions, including the Canadian Union of Postal Workers, met on Sunday and labour leaders were unanimous that they supported CUPE in defying back-to-work orders and that they will "do whatever" to support them. CUPE national president Mark Hancock said that, given the availability of Section 107, it seemed like the company felt that it didn't need to negotiate and was instead preparing to go to binding arbitration. Once it was "pushed to the side," Hancock said, the company "got serious" at the bargaining table and a tentative deal was reached. "Hopefully this has sent a message to government and to everybody that the way to get a deal and a collective agreement is at the bargaining table," Hancock said. "Section 107 is just an impediment that makes it much more difficult to get an agreement on the table." While he doesn't agree with forcing workers back in a dispute, Hancock said other options, like back-to-work legislation debated in Parliament, are more democratic. "We're gonna continue talking about 107 and I'm hoping the government never, ever, ever uses it again because it's not a helpful tool," he said. Hancock encouraged future unions that have to face Section 107 to "respond appropriately." He also said it's still unclear if there will be any consequences for the union or its members as a result of the strike but that CUPE will protect and defend workers and their jobs. "Hopefully Air Canada has learned a lesson that we're not going to back down when it comes to bargaining and that we'll be there to support our members every step of the way," Hancock said. "I'm sure Air Canada wants to put this behind them and move forward and if they start disciplining or attempting to discipline people, that's not gonna be helpful for them or anybody." Daniel Safayeni, president and CEO of FETCO, an employers association comprising federally regulated firms within the transportation and communications sectors, said the industrial relations board and the Supreme Court have affirmed the constitutionality of Section 107, recognizing that the right to strike can be limited in exceptional circumstances when justified by threats to national economic stability. "There is a time and place for the usage of this," Safayeni said, adding that something like a special mediation process could be used before the invocation of Section 107. "At the end of the day, the government is going to need a tool to keep particularly critical industries, critical supply chains moving, if a deal can't be reached." He said unions are entitled to challenge decisions in court but can't just ignore orders because that "sets a dangerous precedent." "That is normalizing behaviour that frankly, I think when we look south of the border, we see it and we are shocked and disappointed to see it, and I don't think we want to replicate those same norms here," Safayeni said. The government's handling of the dispute will likely continue to be under scrutiny as Parliament returns in the fall. Interim NDP leader Don Davies decried what he called a "blatant misuse" of Section 107 on social media. "They should recall Parliament and democratically debate back-to-work legislation if they feel it's justified," Davies posted on Saturday. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre slammed the Liberals for not supporting a Tory private member's bill in the last Parliament that would have required "that flight attendants get paid for every minute they work." "If the Liberals had voted for that bill, we might have been able to avoid this strike," he said at a press conference in Surrey, B.C. The NDP also introduced similar legislation in the last Parliament, which Davies pledged to reintroduce in the fall. Both bills died on the order paper when the election was called. Hajdu said on Monday that she was prepared to introduce legislation depending on the results of her department's probe into the claims of unpaid work in the airline industry. — with files from Kyle Duggan, Craig Lord and Sarah Ritchie This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 20, 2025. Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press
