AFN national chief urges all parties to support First Nations clean drinking water legislation
CBC
With over 30 long-standing boil water advisories still in place on First Nations across the country, the Assembly of First Nations is hoping all parties support legislation that would set drinking water standards on reserves.
"It's time that Canada makes this right with First Nations people," Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak told reporters in Ottawa Thursday, after appearing before the standing committee studying the legislation.
"We're here to call on all political parties in the House, all members of Parliament in the House, we urge you to all support Bill C-61."
There were 105 long-term boil water advisories on reserves when the Liberal government came to power in 2015. Thirty-three advisories were in place as of Sept. 28. In total, 145 long-term boil water advisories have been lifted.
"Canada over the last nine years has invested billions of dollars to try to rectify what has been … a profound inequity," Indigenous Services Canada Minister Patty Hajdu told reporters.
"This bill … seeks to address the long standing systemic issues that have led us to this place, where Canada has neglected the rights of First Nations drinking water."
Quoting Chief Jordna Hill from Shamattawa First Nation in Manitoba, Woodhouse Nepinak called this issue "a national embarrassment."
She said she worries the bill will die if it's not passed before the next federal election.
Hajdu said the Opposition is holding up the bill.
"If we continue to see the kind of obstruction that we're seeing from the Conservative Party, we will be in a place where we won't be able to finish the debate on this bill and send it to the Senate," said Hajdu.
"Ultimately we have a race against time."
In an emailed statement Conservative House Leader Andrew Scheer said after nine years, "the NDP-Liberals have broken their promise to ensure that Indigenous Canadians have access to clean drinking water."
"The minister knows that the Indigenous water bill is at committee, which isn't affected by what is going on in the House. All members of the committee, including the Liberals, have agreed to the committee timetable to address the bill."
Not all chiefs are in agreement with how the bill is currently written, and some worry the language doesn't go far enough.
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