Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Chief Tuccaro, thank you for joining us and informing us of the impact of this situation in your area.
While listening to your opening remarks, I was particularly struck by your comments regarding the proximity of the oil sands and the potential impact on the resource. In my view, source water protection is a key factor.
You're opposed to the bill before us. However, it's our duty as parliamentarians to suggest ways to improve the bill. Subsection 19(2) of the bill doesn't seem to provide for source water protection. As a result, first nations wouldn't be able to draft legislation to protect source water on or near their ancestral land. I think that we should ensure that first nations have the power to do so. We could strengthen certain articles to that effect.
Do you think that it would be appropriate to add a protection zone, established by first nations, and to ensure better coordination in order to hold companies—such as the oil sands operators in your area—liable if they pollute the resource or if the resource is no longer usable? In this case, the polluter would also be held liable. What do you think about this?