Hajdu said she won’t presume to rank priorities for Canada’s Indigenous people without first seeking out their input. That said, ending all boil-water advisories is near the top of her to-do list. “This is a huge priority and it has been for our government for a long time. In fact, since we were elected we’ve lifted over 100 boil-water advisories. There are about 44 left to do. I’ve just finished meeting with my deputy minister for the first time and I’ve reiterated this is a top priority for the government of Canada,” Hajdu said. “I’m really looking forward to understanding those continued long-term boil-water advisories better and meeting with those individual communities to hear their perspective on how we can more quickly accelerate this work.”
NP View: That many First Nations still don’t have access to potable water is a stain on our national character
It is to our national shame that many First Nations communities still don’t have access to potable water. That we have known about the problem for decades and failed to address it is a stain on our national character — one that Justin Trudeau and his Liberals made a lot of hay about addressing during the 2015 election campaign. “A Canadian government led by me will address this as a top priority because it’s not right in a country like Canada. This has gone on for far too long,” Trudeau said at the time, pledging to end all boil-water advisories on reserves within five years.