Thank you.
To Mr. Leonard again, in 2014 when you represented four Alberta first nations that filed a law suit against the federal government in an effort to resolve long-standing drinking water problems, you said the following: “How many times do you get to reannounce the same amount of money? If you spent $2 billion, and then you find that 73 per cent of First Nations still face serious drinking water issues, it's a pretty clear indication it's not enough.”
Recently we found that two-thirds of all first nations communities in Canada have been under at least one drinking water advisory at some time in the last decade, and we know that in the last election Mr. Trudeau promised to end drinking water advisories in indigenous communities within five years. However, according to a recent report from the David Suzuki Foundation, the federal government is not on track to fulfill its promise and has no plan to get there.
I believe the PBO has also come to similar conclusions. According to a recent report from the PBO, the federal government is only spending 50% to 70% of what's needed to fulfill its promise to end boil water advisories on first nations reserves within five years.
This is my question for you. When you said the investments are not even close to meeting the needs, how much money would it take—if you know—to make sure that all first nations communities in this country have access to clean drinking water, and how much are we falling short of that now?