Debates of Dec. 9th, 2019

Supplementary Estimates (A), 2019-20

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations]

Madam Chair, I will certainly get back to the member on that. I did not see that.

To the member opposite, we are on track to get all long-term boil water advisories lifted by March of 2021. We had a significant investment in the 2016 budget. We have had to top up every year, but that money is getting out the door and these—

[The Acting Chair, NDP, Carol Hughes]

I am sorry.

The hon. member for Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock.

[Jamie Schmale, Conservative, Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock, ON]

Madam Chair, the minister's department and the Parliamentary Budget Officer are at odds over the true cost to get water and wastewater in indigenous communities up to the same standards as the rest of Canada. Why is that?

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, Toronto—St. Paul's, ON]

Madam Chair, to the member opposite, there is a lag from the design phase to the implementation phase and the feasibility studies. In the past, things did not work because they only had the budget for two years at a time. As soon as we were able to give a five-year budget, then the communities were able to plan properly and we have been able to do the kind of system that they have asked for.

[Jamie Schmale, Conservative, Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock, ON]

Madam Chair, I would ask the minister how many other contingency plans are in place if the current plan fails?

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, Toronto—St. Paul's, ON]

Madam Chair, the water system is in the A-base funding. That is not why it is not in the supplementaries today. A real focus on the promise and our commitment to get all the long-term boil water advisories lifted by March 2021 means that in successive budgets, if we have to put in more money to be able to get to that target, we will do that.

[The Acting Chair, NDP, Carol Hughes]

I would ask the minister to ensure that she looks at the Chair so she knows how much time I am allowing.

The hon. member for Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock.

[Jamie Schmale, Conservative, Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock, ON]

Madam Chair, speaking of money, according to the Ontario First Nation Technical Services Corporation, the plan in place will not scratch the surface of the issues facing these Ontario indigenous communities. Minister, why are your numbers so far out of line with the ones being presented?

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, Toronto—St. Paul's, ON]

Madam Chair, I do not quite know what the member is referring to as out of line. Thankfully, in this platform commitment to get all infrastructure needs up to what communities need by 2030, the needs assessment will begin and we will get that done.

[The Acting Chair, NDP, Carol Hughes]

I will remind the hon. member as well to address his questions through the Chair and not to the minister.

The hon. member for Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock.

[Jamie Schmale, Conservative, Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock, ON]

Madam Chair, with respect to Grassy Narrows, the minister has committed to building a care home. When will that happen?

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, Toronto—St. Paul's, ON]

Madam Chair, as members know, the expansion of the current health centre has already happened. I think the minister has been in conversation with the community, and that care home will be built.

[Jamie Schmale, Conservative, Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock, ON]

Madam Chair, there are estimates that indicate that if the standard for the Ontario water regulations were applied to first nations people in the province of Ontario, it would double the number of boil water advisories overnight. Can you explain why there are lower standards for those communities?

[The Acting Chair, NDP, Carol Hughes]

Again, I want to remind the member to address his questions through the Chair.

The hon. minister.

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, Toronto—St. Paul's, ON]

Madam Chair, for the member opposite, the standards are with the provincial regulations. That is what all communities have to abide by. Our circuit rider program trains people to get to that standard. I would say that if we were in any community, we would see that those water plant operators are so proud of the work they are doing. There is not any lower standard that I am aware of.

[Jamie Schmale, Conservative, Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock, ON]

Madam Chair, how many first nation communities are suing the government for an inadequate water supply?

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, Toronto—St. Paul's, ON]

Madam Chair, that is a very interesting question. I believe that we as a department have a very good relationship with the communities and are working very well with them to get them the kind of water treatment plants and long-term solutions they require.

[Jamie Schmale, Conservative, Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock, ON]

Madam Speaker, does the minister have a number for that?

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, Toronto—St. Paul's, ON]

Madam Chair, I do not. I think we are trying to get out of court and to the negotiating table. We would like to work with those communities.

[Jamie Schmale, Conservative, Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock, ON]

Madam Chair, can the minister explain why, of the 85 long-term advisories that have been lifted, nearly 40% have been placed back as short-term advisories within weeks or months?

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, Toronto—St. Paul's, ON]

Madam Chair, I need to explain to the member that a long-term drinking water advisory is one that lasts more than a year. That means we are always working with communities, from power outages to all of the other things that happen in all of our communities, to temporarily have a boil water advisory. We have also prevented 131 more—

[The Acting Chair, NDP, Carol Hughes]

The hon. member.

[Jamie Schmale, Conservative, Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock, ON]

Madam Speaker, can the minister confirm or at least explain if short- and medium-term boil water advisories are tracked and recorded at the same standard as the long-term boil water advisories?

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, Toronto—St. Paul's, ON]

Madam Speaker, I will have to check with Health Canada, which tests these systems. As members know, we absorb the ones that are also at gas stations and other things that are a direct responsibility of the federal government. However, we are always looking, because we want to prevent long-term drinking water advisories.

[Jamie Schmale, Conservative, Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock, ON]

Madam Chair, leaders from five Dene first nation communities in northern Manitoba and Saskatchewan are slamming the federal government for suddenly backing away from a land resource deal after concerns were raised with indigenous groups in the Northwest Territories. This is known as the north of 60 agreement. The information we have from the Dene people is that they were told at the 11th hour that negotiations were off, even though they were on their way to sign the agreement. Why was that?