Lək̓ʔəŋən [LEKWUNGEN] TERRITORY / VICTORIA, B.C. — BC Green Leader and candidate for Saanich North and the Islands Emily Lowan is calling on BC Conservative Leader Lorne Doerkson to remove Juan de Fuca-Malahat candidate Mike Hicks following his remarks at an all-candidates debate in Mill Bay where he said “The First Nations have to be conquered.” When the moderator called time, Hicks added: “In law, we have to conquer or sign a treaty with the First Nations. We just arrived, we settled in, and we didn’t do any of it. And that’s why we have to have these treaties and we’re going to get them.”
“First Nations rights, title, and treaties aren’t red tape standing in the way of the economy. They’re a matter of justice, recognition, and respect,” said BC Green Party Leader Emily Lowan. “To hear someone who wants to represent this riding say First Nations need to be ‘conquered’ is unacceptable. Saying settlers simply arrived and settled here erases a real history, and the harm that followed. First Nations leaders shouldn’t have to keep standing up to defend their rights alone. BC Greens stand with them.”
“I was in the room when this happened and it is appalling,” said David Evans, BC Greens candidate for Juan de Fuca-Malahat, who was present at the debate. “Racist attitudes like this don’t belong in our community, in the Legislature, or anywhere. When you’re caught saying First Nations “have to be conquered,” the response is an apology. Hicks called his own words “inartful.” At best, that’s a candidate who can’t speak about First Nations without reaching for the language of conquest. At worst, it’s a racist attitude he won’t admit. Either way, he shouldn’t be representing this riding.”
Hicks is the latest in a string of BC Conservative candidates who have made problematic remarks in this campaign. In Juan de Fuca-Malahat, it’s the second election in a row. In 2024, then-leader John Rustad removed candidate Marina Sapozhnikov over her comments about Indigenous peoples.
“This isn’t one bad moment. It’s a pattern,” said BC Green Party Leader Emily Lowan. “John Rustad drew a line in 2024. Lorne Doerkson needs to show he’ll hold it and remove this candidate.”
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