Debates of Oct. 9th, 2026

First Nations Clean Water Act

[Mandy Gull-Masty, Liberal, Minister of Indigenous Services]

moved that Bill C-37, An Act respecting water, source water, drinking water, wastewater and related infrastructure on First Nation lands, be read the second time and referred to a committee.

Madam Speaker, waachiyeh, meesuuyeh, kwe, ulaakut, tansi and hello. I rise today as a proud eeyou iskwew from the community of Waswanipi, and also as the Minister of Indigenous Services, to speak to Bill C-37, the first nations clean water act.

I understand first-hand the importance of protecting water in our communities, and I understand the impact of losing it. I grew up in a nation where water was never something to take for granted. Whenever we needed fresh water, I remember being sent with a small pot to collect it and bring it back to our camp. This was a communal responsibility, and carrying water for my grandmother was simply part of daily life. That water gave her what she needed to make sure that she was able to cook, clean and sometimes even bathe babies.

From that, I learned very early on that water is much more than a resource. It is something to respect, protect and take care of. It connects us to one another, to our families and to the earth.

That is why, as minister, ensuring access to clean and safe drinking water is one of my highest priorities. No parent should have to question whether the water coming from their tap is safe to drink. No child should have to grow up believing that clean water is something they may not have, yet for far too many families, this has been a reality for far too long in communities.

I am therefore rising today in support of Bill C-37, the first nations clean water act, which I had the honour of introducing earlier this year.

The bill before us would establish a lasting framework to protect and recognize first nations jurisdiction and ensure that the resources needed are there to sustain safe water for future generations.

The main purpose of this bill is to create an environment where children can safely drink tap water, where families can trust the quality of water in their homes and where communities get the opportunities they deserve.

To achieve the critical goal of Bill C-37, we are proposing a robust plan that empowers first nations with tools, authority and the support to protect water in their communities and build systems that are going to serve generations to come.

Across Canada, laws and regulations set strong minimum standards for drinking water, yet for far too long, first nations communities have been left without the same protections. That is unacceptable. Bill C-37 is designed to change that. It would establish a legislative framework with enforceable protections for safe drinking water that reflect first nations priorities. It would establish national principles and minimum standards. It would ensure that drinking water standards meet, at a minimum, the guidelines for Canadian drinking water quality.

The bill is about much more than setting standards. It is about protecting water, recognizing first nations authority, supporting communities and ensuring that governments are accountable for the work that must continue. Rights holders have been clear and have told us that communities know what they need and they should have the authority, tools and resources to protect the water that they depend on.

Bill C-37 would recognize and affirm that first nations' inherent right to self-government includes jurisdiction over water, source water, drinking water, waste water and related infrastructure in and under first nations lands.

It also seeks to help first nations develop their own approaches to water governance based on the knowledge of elders, leaders, technicians, engineers and youth. This is a fundamental part of the bill.

This legislation establishes clear standards for safe drinking water, while recognizing that first nations must play a key role in decisions concerning water governance in their communities.

It gives first nations the tools they need to develop and enforce their own laws and to make decisions in the best interests of their members. This is what self-determination is all about.

The legislation would also establish lasting obligations. It would create accountability, clarify responsibility and bind future governments to the duty of working with first nations to advance access to clean water.

We know that there is more work to do. We are continuing to do that work with first nations, but we should also recognize what has been accomplished by first nations-led solutions. This progress has only been made possible with their involvement.

Together, we have lifted 157 long-term drinking water advisories. We have prevented more than 335 short-term advisories from becoming long-term. As a result of these lifts, more than 10,000 homes and over 700 community buildings, such as schools and health centres, now have access to clean drinking water. Today, nearly 80% of long-term drinking water advisories have been lifted, and this progress matters.

This progress means that children who were waiting for clean drinking water can now count on the water coming out of their taps and can have access to great things for the future in terms of the systems put in place for the community.

Our responsibility now is to build on that progress to eliminate the advisories that are still in place, prevent new advisories where possible and ensure that the systems we put in place today remain safe and reliable for generations to come.

However, 38 long-term water advisories remain in effect in 36 communities. It is a reminder that our work is not over. It is still ongoing. Despite the progress that has been made, we realize we still have 38 advisories too many. That confirms the need for sustained efforts and long-term solutions.

For many years, first nations have called for change. They have called for legislation that follows their direction and respects self-determination, legislation that recognizes their role as stewards of water, establishes clear standards and reflects the realities of their communities. Those calls have been steady and they have guided this work. Bill C-37 answers those calls.

Progress like this does not happen on its own. It requires sustained investment and partnership with first nations. In June, we were able to announce $4.6 billion over five years to support water and waste-water initiatives in first nations communities, the largest investment a Canadian government has ever made in first nations water. This builds on the additional $2.3 billion provided in our government's budget announced in 2025, as well as the $7.1 billion from 2015 to 2024.

So far with these investments, since I was appointed, we have supported more than 1,700 water and waste-water projects in nearly 600 communities, helping meet the needs of almost half a million people in this country. This funding will continue to build, operate, maintain and upgrade the systems that families rely on every single day.

These investments will also help support communities that are facing vastly different realities. Not all communities are starting from the same starting point. Communities need to be able to plan. They need to know that when they build infrastructure, they will have the necessary resources to maintain it.

Bill C-37 would commit the federal government to working with first nations to co-develop a long-term funding framework so that decisions about water and waste-water funding are not made in isolation from the communities that are affected by them. Every community has a different reality, and every family deserves a water system they can rely on.

The funding framework would also reflect the full picture of what communities need for safe drinking water. This includes infrastructure, operations, maintenance, operator training, retention, and the long-term supports needed for water systems and the people who must operate them every day. Communities know what they need, and Bill C-37 has been shaped and guided by the decisions they have made concerning water.

Safe drinking water does not just begin at the tap. It also begins at the source: in the rivers, lakes, wetlands and groundwater systems that first nations have been protecting since time immemorial.

For generations, first nations have known that protecting water is more than just an environmental responsibility. It is also a responsibility towards the community, culture and future generations. That is why Bill C-37 includes provisions to protect water sources by establishing protection zones that will be developed jointly with first nations, the provinces, the territories and federal partners.

Through the pathway to mutually agreed upon protection zones set out in this legislation, first nations, provinces, territories and the federal government would work together to protect critical shared water resources. The bill also affirms that the first nations' inherent right to self-government includes jurisdiction to protect water in and under their lands.

I would also like to make one thing clear: Passing this bill does not mean that drinking water advisories will become a thing of the past. Water systems are dynamic. Infrastructure ages. Weather events happen. Climate change is affecting communities across the country, and unforeseen challenges can arise, even in the best-managed systems.

This bill establishes a more robust legislative framework to address these challenges. It fosters continuous improvement, strengthens partnerships, provides more predictable funding and clarifies responsibilities, ensuring that communities have the resources they need to resolve problems quickly and can take the necessary steps to serve the best interests of their members.

This legislation reflects Canada's commitment to realizing the human right to safe drinking water on first nations lands. This commitment means taking action and making concrete steps to improve access to safe and clean drinking water on first nations lands.

As I mentioned before, not every community is starting from the same place. Many communities have strong systems in place, while others face greater infrastructure capacity needs and operational challenges and need necessary support. Bill C-37 recognizes all those different realities. It would help communities move forward from where they are today and would support long-term progress toward safe and reliable drinking water. This is our government's commitment through this legislation, and it is an obligation we will pass on to all future governments.

Bill C-37 also proposes the creation of a first nations-led water commission. This commission would serve as a centre of expertise to support and implement the act. Its mandate, structure and services would be defined by first nations. Across the country, first nations are already leading in water stewardship. Water operators, technicians and community leaders are protecting source water, operating systems, restoring watersheds and sharing knowledge with the next generation. This bill would recognize that leadership and build on it.

The proposed water commission aligns with that approach. The commission would be a first nations-led centre of expertise where communities can share knowledge, technical advice and best practices. Bill C-37 will help strengthen this resource so that communities can continue to support one another for many years to come.

First nations leadership across the country has shared their stories with me about water since my appointment. These stories are of persistence, leadership and hope.

I cannot help but think of those communities, where families have lived under boil water advisories for years. Access to safe drinking water will depend entirely on the work we do together.

I think of children who grow up without knowing what it means to simply turn on the tap and drink. I think of that moment when change happens: when a parent no longer has to question the water, a grandmother can fill the kettle without hesitation and a child can drink freely from the tap. That is what progress looks like, and that is what we are working towards.

I think of Northwest Angle No. 33 first nation in Ontario, where families lived for 12 years under a boil water advisory that was finally lifted, and where the return of safe water meant trusting the tap again in daily life.

I think of Bonaparte First Nation in British Columbia, where children who have never known anything else could finally drink from the tap after more than 14 years.

I think of Star Blanket Cree Nation in Saskatchewan, whose dedication and commitment to providing clean and safe drinking water helped lift a boil water advisory that had been in place since 2007. The opening of a new water treatment plant brought a 17-year advisory to an end, marking a meaningful milestone for the community.

This legislation reflects more than six years of consultation and engagement with first nations leaders, technicians, water operators and communities across the country. It carries forward what first nations have told us, which is that solutions must be built together.

We have made real progress since 2015, including lifting 156 long-term boil water advisories, preventing more than 335 further advisories from becoming long-term advisories, and supporting over 1,700 projects in nearly 600 communities. We still have a lot of work to do, and we need to get started right away.

I believe we have an opportunity before us today. We have an opportunity to close the long-standing legislative gap, to recognize first nations jurisdiction over water and to strengthen source water protection. It is also an opportunity to create accountability in a sustainable funding framework. It is an opportunity to strengthen first nations-led governance and put historic resources to work for them.

I am here to work with and for first nations that want to build this reality together. My journey as a mother, a leader and a member of my nation has shown me that real progress comes from doing things right, building trust, sharing responsibility and listening to the voices that guide our work and turning it into action. Today we have the opportunity to do exactly that. I ask all members of the House to support Bill C-37.

We need to move this bill forward and continue to work in partnership with first nations.

Let us build a future where every child and community can turn on the tap with confidence, and where every first nations community has the authority, resources and protections it needs to sustain clean, safe and reliable drinking water.

[Billy Morin, Conservative, Edmonton Northwest, AB]

Madam Speaker, I want to recognize the minister's work on the file. It is a very difficult file.

She referenced the work that has been done by the Liberal government since 2015. I have a quick comment about the work done by government. In the House, just this week, when asked about affordability, the Prime Minister said, “I just got here.”

In 2015, the Liberals promised to end boiled water advisories. The fact is that they did not just get here. I am wondering if the minister can confirm, yes or no, if they are going to keep their promise to end boil water advisories.

[Mandy Gull-Masty, Liberal, Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, QC]

Madam Speaker, the objective of this law is to do that.

I want to remind my colleague that it is the Liberal government that put forward this promise. We have done intense capital project planning, invested in community, lifted a number of boil water advisories and prevented a number of boil water advisories. Now we seek to target the 38 remaining boil water advisories.

I hope that my colleague will vote for the bill so that the communities waiting for this will be able to complete the remaining work.

[Sébastien Lemire, Bloc, Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC]

Madam Speaker, waachiyaah.

I want to thank my colleague and riding neighbour, more commonly known as the Minister of Indigenous Services, for her intervention.

First nations have waited a very long time for this bill. I would even go so far as to say that we literally lost a year waiting during this Parliament. At the time, there was broad consensus around Bill C-61, co-developed with first nations. The committee was very thorough in its work and proposed a number of amendments, all in collaboration with groups representing first nations.

My question for the minister is simple: What has changed between Bill C-61 and Bill C-37, which is before us today, that accounts for the year we have just lost?

[Mandy Gull-Masty, Liberal, Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, QC]

Madam Speaker, I took the time to study things and speak with the communities.

One very important aspect of this bill is the government's historic investment to ensure that the communities benefiting from this bill have all the essentials, including funds to invest in the work involved in lifting boil water advisories.

[Karim Bardeesy, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Industry]

Madam Speaker, in Taiaiako'n—Parkdale—High Park in west Toronto, we are beneficiaries of having clean, abundant and affordable drinking water provided through the City of Toronto and municipal public services, yet in my riding, there are many people who are concerned about the situation with first nations drinking water. I think they will receive this bill with a lot of jubilation.

Could the minister describe how the measures in this bill would equal the playing field so that residents of first nations and on reserves can benefit from the kind of drinking water that most of us in cities take for granted?

[Mandy Gull-Masty, Liberal, Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, QC]

Madam Speaker, Bill C-37 is seeking, first and foremost, to establish the minimum standards that are in place for many residents in ridings that are not first nations communities. This is the base. If first nations communities want to do the additional work to define what that standard should be for them, they are able to do that, and we would support them through Bill C-37.

[Billy Morin, Conservative, Edmonton Northwest, AB]

Madam Speaker, the government appealed a 2025 ruling against it when it came to its failures on first nations clean drinking water.

The Liberals immediately appealed the decision. Can the minister explain why they appealed and why they are still fighting first nations in court regarding clean drinking water in first nations?

[Mandy Gull-Masty, Liberal, Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, QC]

Madam Speaker, I want to inform my colleague that, in government, we have to do the work of responding and ensuring that the government fully represents all of the positions that are presented to it, and while we do this incredible work, we are also making decisions to ensure that the historic investment that we have put forward in this space will meet their needs.

Every community that has met with me this year has spoken to me about how they want to undertake this work. They support this position, and I hope that my colleague will make sure that he creates that pathway alongside me to be sure that we can offer them those tools.

[Sébastien Lemire, Bloc, Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC]

Madam Speaker, I just want to remind the House of the leadership shown by the former minister of indigenous services, the member for Thunder Bay—Superior North, on this issue. She held consultations to build a strong consensus among the parties.

From what I understand from the answer that the minister just gave us, the only difference between Bill C-61 and Bill C-37 is that more money is going to be invested. That is not true. Unfortunately, that is a bogus excuse. The Chief of the Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador, Francis Verreault-Paul, is of the opinion that Bill C-37 no longer explicitly recognizes access to drinking water as a human right, a right recognized by the United Nations, and that some aspects of the bill represent a step backward compared to Bill C-61.

My question is simple. What has the minister backtracked on?

[Mandy Gull-Masty, Liberal, Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, QC]

Madam Speaker, this bill is the result of six years of work by the first nations themselves. The information was provided by the communities themselves. I really took the time to study all of the evidence presented and to talk to many people who are affected by the current advisories.

One of the things my colleague really needs to try to understand is that the gradual implementation of the right to access drinking water is set out in the legislation. This gives the communities the opportunity to say where they want to start and present their situation. The government will work with them to establish a water system, infrastructure and a plan that can be shared with the members of each first nation, each community, in a way that respects their circumstances.

[Ellis Ross, Conservative, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Madam Speaker, I want to reaffirm a question, which my colleague asked previously, and its answer, because this is a big, shiny announcement.

As a first nations leader, I have seen big, shiny announcements over the last 20 years, but I think it is important that Canadians and aboriginals understand that, underneath this shiny announcement, the Canadian government, the Liberal government, is actually losing court cases regarding drinking water on reserves. At the same time, the government is appealing the decisions that it has lost.

Can the minister explain why the government is appealing the latest decision it lost?

[Mandy Gull-Masty, Liberal, Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, QC]

Madam Speaker, I want to remind my colleague that, while he speaks of big, shiny announcements, there are 38 communities waiting for this work to be done, such as Kashechewan, which this year had to evacuate because of major infiltration in its water system.

There are communities hoping to do this work, and they need this valuable resource. We are working on this law in partnership with those very communities. They are waiting for the resource to be sure that their members, the children who play on their streets, can go home, turn on the tap and drink a glass of water. That is what is important. That is what we are delivering with the work we have done here.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Madam Speaker, I would like the minister to provide her thoughts on Shoal Lake No. 40 first nation, which is located on Treaty 3 land.

Over generations now, in the city of Winnipeg, we have had fresh, clear, clean water supplied to the residents. Water management has been at the core for first nations. This is one of the ways that we recognize the whole issue of valuing our natural resources and the important role indigenous people play. It is a part of reconciliation. Could the minister provide her thoughts on that?

[Mandy Gull-Masty, Liberal, Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, QC]

Madam Speaker, we have to take into consideration that the work we do here is not only about water system infrastructure but also about giving communities the power, the resource and the jurisdiction over deciding how they are going to access that. It is not only about how they are doing the work to harmonize their relationship with their environment, protect necessary resources and practise their indigenous way of life to be able to provide a service in community, but also about ensuring that we give them the resources to be successful in that space.

Manitoba has been one of the provinces where we have seen an immense need. It is the same thing in northern Ontario. We have many communities across the country that are waiting for the resource in this bill to action and service their members.

[Billy Morin, Conservative, Edmonton Northwest, AB]

Madam Speaker, I ask for unanimous consent to split my time with the member for Cowichan—Malahat—Langford.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Alexandra Mendès), Alexandra Mendes]

Is it agreed?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[Billy Morin, Conservative, Edmonton Northwest, AB]

Madam Speaker, the Liberals said no relationship is more important to Canada than the one with indigenous peoples. On October 2015, the Liberal government promised to end boil water advisories on first nations by March 31, 2021, which was in approximately 2,000 days or six years. Like so many things with reconciliation, the Liberals never lived up to their word. Since their deadline came and passed, an additional 2,018 days, or nearly six years, have come and gone. Now it has been over 11 years, over 4,000 days, since they promised to deal with clean water on first nations. There are still boil water advisories on first nations. There are still first nations wondering when the Liberals will live up to their word.

The Minister, on behalf of the Government of Canada, must fulfill Canada’s obligations and implement Canada’s commitments set out in the Settlement Agreement,

I highlight the words “settlement agreement”, which of course refers to a 2021 class action lawsuit regarding first nations' clean drinking water, a lawsuit started in 2019 by several first nations that were, and still are, tired of the government's negligence on water.

This legislation is not derived from Liberal government leadership to do right by first nations people or water, but by the first nations seeing no other alternative but to take the government to court and force action for clean drinking water. Again, that is not the end of this. As we note today, the Liberal government continues to fight first nations in court to deny Canada has a legal duty to ensure they have safe drinking water on reserve, even as the Liberals advance this legislation. Shamattawa First Nation v. Canada was launched in court in 2022. The outstanding action by first nations is still arguing in court to this day that the government still fails in its obligations to provide safe drinking water.

After failing to pass clean water legislation last Parliament as a priority, their third as the government, for the third consecutive time, it took the Liberals over a year on the last day before summer break to reintroduce their clean water legislation, much of it basically the same as Bill C-61, their previous bill in the last Parliament. That is how the Liberals treat what is, according to them, their most important relationship in the country. That is the Liberal record on reconciliation. I ask them, is this the Liberal way of keeping their word?

Let us also not forget why this legislation is here in the first place. It talks about it right in the legislation itself. Section 33 of this bill says:

It is no wonder that first nations like Shamattawa, St. Theresa and others in rural northern Manitoba feel they have no other option but to fight in court. Since April 2025, at the same time that the Liberal government was re-elected, those nations have been devastated from an ongoing hepatitis A outbreak, exacerbated by long-standing challenges such as a lack of clean drinking water, adequate sewage and plumbing systems.

In 2025, the court sided with those first nations and the Liberals immediately appealed and are still fighting first nations in court today over clean, safe drinking water. In the appeal filing, the Liberal defence via government lawyers denied that first nations have distinctly indigenous interest in the drinking water. They asserted that first nations' interest in their own reserve land does not include water because water is not attached to the land, but flows around it and under it. I am not sure what to make of that argument.

The draft of the Liberals' Bill C-37, which we are discussing here today, in section 6 says, “jurisdiction of First Nations...[is recognized over] water, source water, drinking water, wastewater, related infrastructure on, in and under First Nation lands.” The Liberals propose to recognize first nations jurisdiction in and under first nations lands, but are in court at this moment saying first nations' interest does not include water on their land because it is not attached to the land.

Where are the principles of the government? At what point are the Liberals going to put in the real work to do right by first nations and clean drinking water? They should stop going around in circles wasting money on endless conflicting dialogues. They should stop fighting in court and go beyond the bare minimum ordered by that court to have kids and families gain access to life's basic necessity.

What does this legislation actually do? How will it lead to them keeping their promise and how will it get the kids and families that life-giving necessity? How will it help end a boil water advisory for Neskantaga, which has been under a boil water advisory now for 30-plus years? Entire generations of a community know no reality of what it means to turn on a tap and drink safely.

First, this bill says that first nations should have substantive equality, which means they should have the same accessibility to clean, safe drinking water as non-first nations communities. That is a good thing, but when you consider the policies that Indigenous Services Canada has implemented today, those policies already acknowledge that Health Canada standards, such as for effluent quality and waste-water treatment, and federal guidelines for Canadian drinking water quality apply. Will turning a policy into legislation regarding standards actually change anything the government is doing? No. As many first nations leaders have said already regarding this bill, it is a watered-down version of the previous legislation that says it will make best efforts to do the bare minimum. After 11 years, this is the best the Liberals can do to an already long-time policy and say it is now legislation.

Next, this legislation has the government's favourite word to give first nations to imply the government is actually doing something when it is really not. It is “framework”. First nations wanted to be empowered yesterday on upskilling more clean water and waste-water operators. They want to know their new and old systems will be adequately supported by the fiduciary responsibility of the government. They want to know if they can enforce accountability in the system. Remote communities want to build faster and more effectively. They want testing capacity. They want adequate, predictable funding beyond two-year ISC contribution agreements and/or beyond one government budget cycle. In the case of northern Manitoba rural first nations, they want things in place to stop a hepatitis A outbreak. A framework does not do that. Kids and families cannot drink or bathe in frameworks. Saying a policy is now legislation will do nothing to stop their hepatitis A outbreak.

Finally, the government told first nations and Canadians it is committed to meaningfully implementing UNDRIP, including the aspects of clean water. Evidence shows that, just like its promise in 2015, this was all just political talk with no real intention of ever living up to its word. When it comes to Liberals keeping their promises of ending boil water advisories, this legislation now says the government will make best efforts. When it comes to implementing UNDRIP, this legislation now says it is “guided by”, key words distinctly different from “according to our direct implementation record”. This reflects their 2026 report on the implementation of UNDRIP, Bill C-15, where the government said it would make all laws compatible with UNDRIP. With its fifth report, which was just released a few months ago, we now know that 125 of 181 action plan items the government developed alongside a handful of just a few first nations people are either paused, not started or incomplete. The Liberals know they say UNDRIP just because they think it is politically convenient and advantageous to say so, but their rhetoric is catching up to them, and it is becoming more divisive, especially in B.C., for all Canadians.

Take, for instance, the funding announced. This is not statutory funding, by the way, as part of this legislation. The Liberals announced this alongside the bill as part of the budget. The minister said it was the largest historic investment in water, but the immediate reaction of first nations was that they had heard this before, in fact a number of times. How many consultants who exploit first nations have been made rich off these Liberal money announcements while families on reserve go without? What the Liberals do not seem to understand is that it is not just about a podium announcement, consultations or money contributed. First nations are focused on the results and accountability. First nations are no longer judging the government by its fake photo ops and announcements. As Chief Mercredi warned them last week, first nations leaders at announcements does not mean a vote of confidence.

I will come full circle. I stand here speaking not for all first nations, but as one first nations person in this House holding the government accountable. My voice reflects the disappointment, frustration and lack of hope many first nations feel regarding the Liberal government on its record on reconciliation and water. Conservatives believe first nations deserve respect, clean drinking water and a government that keeps its word. Too much time has passed. There are still crises 30 years old regarding water. Despite the shortcomings of this bill, we would like to see it get through this House to the next stage at committee, where first nations voices again will help us keep the government accountable.

[Tim Watchorn, Liberal, Les Pays-d'en-Haut, QC]

Madam Speaker, my colleague opposite gave a very heartfelt speech. It is obvious that he really cares about this issue.

In my previous life, I had the opportunity to manage drinking water plants and sewage treatment plants for the towns of Saint-Adèle and Saint-Sauveur, so I am very familiar with the mechanisms for boil water advisories and safe drinking water practices. What I see in Bill C-37 is a major investment of $4.6 billion over five years to help first nations achieve the drinking water quality and standards that everyone should have.

I would like to hear my colleague's thoughts on how this money should be invested properly in these communities in order to lift the boil water advisories that have been in place for far too long.

[Billy Morin, Conservative, Edmonton Northwest, AB]

Madam Speaker, this bill is, as first nations leaders have said, the bare minimum. The Liberals are going to take best efforts to do the bare minimum, and it is a watered-down version of Bill C-61. When the member talks about standards, those standards already exist in the policies implemented.

When it comes to the funds, the Liberals announced big funding. For the first nations, the funding announcements and the billions of dollars go over their heads because they are still suffering from water shortages, hepatitis A outbreaks and kids and families going without. When it comes to money, I would like to see the government be more accountable. Maybe this legislation could be more empowered to keep the government accountable to taxpayers, to first nations and to those kids and families who are suffering the most.

[Sébastien Lemire, Bloc, Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC]

Mr. Speaker, meegwetch to the member for Edmonton Northwest. It was refreshing to have him here and at the Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs, where I had the chance to sit with him for a little while.

Let us talk about Bill C-37. Obviously, a great deal of work had been done on Bill C-61, yet what we are seeing now is a step backward on the part of the government. All things considered, I find there is something naive about the government telling us it is going to provide funding. How does my colleague view this naivety? Does he feel that we have lost a year, a year during which those funds could have been invested in concrete solutions for first nations and in building the expertise and workforce needed to properly manage drinking water systems?

Should it also not have taken years and years of reports from the Auditor General, over the course of virtually decades, before this government's failure to fulfill its responsibilities regarding safe drinking water for first nations was finally called into question? I would like to hear my colleague's thoughts on that.

[Billy Morin, Conservative, Edmonton Northwest, AB]

Madam Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for his great work when I sat with him at INAN. It has been frustrating to watch the last year, but it has been 10 times even more frustrating watching the last 10 years of the Liberal government. It is promise after promise broken, and at this point, I do not blame any first nation for being cynical, sad or disappointed when it comes to its record on water.

This legislation talks again about a framework, and it says in there that the government is going to take another year, and it is probably going to be two more years or three more years given its record on implementing actual frameworks and actual details to change the system and get things built.

At this point, the bare minimum, a watered-down version of Bill C-61, does not inspire a lot of hope going forward for first nations families or kids at all.

[Leah Gazan, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Madam Speaker, it has always a pleasure to work with my hon. colleague. In the legislation, it defines first nations lands as not including “ lands over which Aboriginal title is claimed by a First Nation or has been confirmed by a court.”

We know industry is set up by first nations. We also know the legislation would not give first nations jurisdiction over source water and aquifers, therefore limiting our jurisdiction to Indian Act reserve boundaries only.

I am wondering if my colleague can share the Conservative position on the failure of the government to even uphold court rulings in relation to this bill.

[Billy Morin, Conservative, Edmonton Northwest, AB]

Madam Speaker, the Conservative position is that we want to give first nations and all Canadians a government that is truthful and delivers on what it says. Regarding major projects, there was an announcement yesterday by a first nation that it had asked for a review on the latest announcement regarding a pipeline. I do not blame that first nation, but what this really says to me is that the Liberals' record on rhetoric, on promises they cannot keep and on photo op announcements that have no substance beyond them is really catching up to them, and it is dividing this country. Conservatives do not believe in that. We believe in an honest, straightforward conversation. We believe we should disagree when we have to and show respect. The Liberal government is really setting reconciliation back now many years.