Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I was speaking to Chief Emerita Whetung‑MacInnes, whom I am happy to see again. I'm also happy to have this discussion in an official setting where her story can be heard.
My question is about Bill C‑61, which was tabled long before the visit of the special rapporteur on human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation and the tabling of his report in April 2024. In the report, he urges the Government of Canada to do more to guarantee the right to safe drinking water for indigenous communities.
Using the term “best efforts” when it comes to funding seems to me to be a potential loophole, rather than a guarantee that the money will be sufficient or a commitment that there will be stable and predictable funding for first nations.
Are you proposing an amendment to the bill to ensure that the government, rather than just making its best efforts, actually provides sufficient, stable and predictable funding to ensure safe drinking water for first nations, as the situation in Curve Lake demands?