I'd like to warn you about the appearance of conflicts of interest that we often see on these commissions. This has been the case with the nuclear industry, in particular. As we've seen, the Minister of Crown‑Indigenous Relations was unable to apply the precautionary principle and the principle of prevention to an essential resource like water when it came to projects that posed risks to flora and fauna. In this case, it was the Ottawa River.
What's most important to note is that the mandate of these commissions means that ministers absolve themselves of their responsibilities, saying that they've entrusted this to an independent third party, such as the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission. By having an independent commission, ministers are absolved of their responsibilities and accountability. Then they tell indigenous people to go to court. That's what happened with nuclear waste. I'm afraid a bit of the same thing will happen with a water bill.
Unfortunately, my time is up. Mr. Chair, could you show some leniency and give the witnesses time to provide me with an answer?