Thank you.
Mr. Chair, I think I would say the following.
These are extremely difficult issues for all of us. As we work with communities and we see the impacts of what long-term drinking water advisories have done to communities and youth and trust, they are real. They are challenging and they are difficult. I want to absolutely recognize that.
It is an emergency situation. We do need to act in a way that responds to the emergency situation, which is why at times the department not only looks to long-term solutions but at short-term solutions. I know that is not the ideal solution, but at times, in order to respond to a crisis that is kind of....
Actions are happening every day. There is a commitment to get all 34 remaining long-term drinking advisories lifted. However, the commitment can't stop just there because there are communities right now that may not have a long-term drinking water advisory, but I would say they do not necessarily have a system that is appropriate long term. Some of their homes are not connected to a water system.
I was in Pikangikum last summer and saw first-hand how it impacts emergency management in this country.
I think it's important for us to stay focused on the actions required to lift the remaining advisories, while also staying focused on the long-term investment for the sustainability of the water solution, whether it's waste water or treatment plants.