“First Nations have waited a long time for this clean water bill. We lost a year waiting for this new version. I want the minister to explain what changed between the old bill and this one to justify that delay.”

“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?”

“The new water bill is worse than the old one. First Nations leaders say it no longer calls clean drinking water a human right. I want the minister to tell us what else the government took out of this bill.”

“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?”

“This bill is a step backward and ignores work we already did. The government's funding promises are unrealistic. We lost a year that could have been spent fixing First Nations water systems and training workers. It took decades of reports to show the government failed to deliver clean drinking water. I want to hear the member's thoughts on this.”

“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.”

“The government took decades to act on clean drinking water for First Nations. There are still 35 communities under boil water advisories, down from 60 in 2021. This long delay harmed people's health and lives. I want the member to tell us if that delay was justified.”

“Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for sincerely standing up for his constituents, particularly those in indigenous communities. The Liberal Party, which forms the government, has waited decades before taking action, despite successive reports from the Auditor General. It has allowed disputes with first nations, who have been calling for this right, to drag on for decades. I would remind members that the Auditor General said that, in 2021, there were still 60 boil water advisories in effect in first nations communities. Today, we are happy to hear that, in 2025, that number has gone down to 35. There has been some progress. However, some people have been affected by this for decades. Now the government is saying that this is great and that it will be able to fix the problem. However, it is mainly the Liberal government’s lack of action that led to this situation, particularly when it comes to health, and which is affecting the quality of life of generations of first nations members who live in these communities. Can my colleague tell us whether this delay is justified?”