Liberals

Battle stations, everyone

Battle stations, everyone

Canada has lifted 137 long-term drinking water advisories on reserves since November 2015. That’s equal to 82 percent of long-term advisories in the last seven years, the government claims. Still, the Liberals fell short of their promise to lift all drinking water advisories by March 2021. There are currently 31 long-term advisories still in place in 27 communities. And a document tabled this week in the House of Commons shows the work doesn’t end once an advisory is lifted. According to the document, tabled in answer to a question from Conservative MP GARY VIDAL, four First Nations have seen long-term drinking water advisories recur on five water systems that previously had advisories lifted.

Commons could soon pass legislation to study environmental racism

Commons could soon pass legislation to study environmental racism

The House of Commons is close to adopting Canada's first-ever legislation on environmental racism — environmental hazards that disproportionately affect Indigenous, Black and other racialized communities. Bill C-226 comes up for a vote today and is expected eventually to pass through the House of Commons with the support of the Liberals, the NDP and the Green Party. Those parties hope the bill can be fast-tracked through unanimous consent and bypass several procedural hoops. That's not likely without the support of the two other opposition parties.

Not enough money coming from federal government to maintain Indigenous water treatment systems: PBO report

Not enough money coming from federal government to maintain Indigenous water treatment systems: PBO report

The Trudeau government has not set aside enough money to maintain and operate water treatments systems in Indigenous communities, according to a new report from the parliamentary budget officer. While the Liberals have more than enough money to build the systems, they are $138 million a year short on providing help to First Nations to maintain them, said Yves Giroux. Canada still has 43 long-term drinking water advisories in 31 Indigenous communities across the country, down considerably from when the Liberals first came to office. But the government admitted last year it would not meet its initial promise to address all of the advisories in the first five years in office.


Federal government needs to up spending to give First Nations clean water, PBO says

Federal government needs to up spending to give First Nations clean water, PBO says

The parliamentary budget officer says the federal government would need to increase planned spending to provide clean drinking water in First Nations. Yves Giroux’s report this morning says the government has set aside enough money to build water and wastewater systems over the next five years. Where the government falls short is to help First Nations operate the systems, which Giroux’s office estimates would need $138 million more annually in federal funding.

Singh says there’s no excuse for lack of safe drinking water in First Nations communities

Singh says there’s no excuse for lack of safe drinking water in First Nations communities

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says no excuse is acceptable for the Liberals’ failure to deliver on their 2015 promise to lift all drinking water advisories in First Nations communities. Speaking to reporters in Sioux Lookout, about 230 kilometres northwest of Thunder Bay, Ont., Singh said he is not dismissing that it’s hard to reach rural communities, but Canada’s wealth and technology are sufficient enough to lift all remaining drinking advisories.

Parliamentary committee gives Liberals until March 2022 to come up with drinking water plan

Parliamentary committee gives Liberals until March 2022 to come up with drinking water plan

Canada’s Public Accounts committee is recommending that the federal government deliver to it a plan to address clean drinking water on First Nations by March 31, 2022. It’s one of four recommendations the committee issued Thursday in the wake of a scathing report by Auditor General Karen Hogan and her appearance before the committee in April. “Overall, Indigenous Services Canada has not provided the support needed to ensure that First Nations communities have ongoing access to safe drinking water,” said Hogan in her opening address to the committee.

Federal government vows again to end boil water advisories but offers no new target date

Federal government vows again to end boil water advisories but offers no new target date

Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller today recommitted the federal government to its goal of lifting all long-term drinking water advisories on First Nations reserves — but didn't offer a timeline for completing the work. With 58 active advisories remaining in 38 communities, the Liberals will miss a self-imposed deadline this month for lifting all long-term advisories. Miller said today that ensuring access to clean tap water for all First Nations communities remains a top government priority.

Sask. adds another long-term water advisory; feds won't set new deadline for lifting them

Sask. adds another long-term water advisory; feds won't set new deadline for lifting them

As a First Nation in Saskatchewan got its second long-term drinking water advisory, Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) said it won’t set a new timeline for lifting them. At a news conference in Ottawa on Wednesday, ISC Minister Marc Miller reaffirmed the government’s commitment to lifting the remaining 58 advisories in 38 communities. Eight remain across six First Nations in Saskatchewan. The oldest has been in place since 2008.

AG says Canada is still failing to provide clean drinking water for all First Nations

AG says Canada is still failing to provide clean drinking water for all First Nations

While the federal Liberal government vowed in its 2015 election campaign to end water advisories in Indigenous communities by the end of March 2021, a recent report from the auditor general says they haven’t taken action to make this happen. Auditor General Karen Hogan says 100 water advisories have been lifted since the Liberals came to power, but 60 remain across 41 communities.

First Nations workers in Sask. sacrifice wages, vacation to run underfunded water systems

First Nations workers in Sask. sacrifice wages, vacation to run underfunded water systems

Rebecca Zagozewski is the executive director of the Saskatchewan First Nations Water Association, a non-profit organization that works to build First Nations’ capacity to take care and control of their own water services. She says recruitment and retention of water treatment plant operators is a “real problem” on Saskatchewan First Nations, largely because they often can’t pay operators competitive wages.