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Results: 1 - 15 of 19
View Brad Redekopp Profile
CPC (SK)
Okay, great. Earlier this year the Auditor General released a report on access to safe drinking water in first nations communities. The findings were that Indigenous Services Canada did not meet its commitment to eliminate long-term drinking water advisories in first nations communities, and efficiencies in some water systems had not been addressed.
Indigenous Services Canada had not amended the operations and maintenance funding formula for first nations water systems since it was first developed 30 years ago. The salary gap had contributed to problems in—
View Brad Redekopp Profile
CPC (SK)
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I understand how the Liberals do not like to hear these things, but it is the truth. Of course, I would suggest that we've already, through testimony, heard that the indigenous communities are one of the main ones targeted by this legislation. Also, clean air and clean water are the primary things we're talking about with environmental things.
The Auditor General went on to say that many first nations communities are particularly vulnerable to infectious diseases, such as the virus that causes the coronavirus disease, because of social, environmental and economic factors.
The Liberal government has completely failed to keep the environment clean on first nations reserves. How do you think this will change if this legislation happens to get passed?
View Lenore Zann Profile
Lib. (NS)
Thank you to my colleague Mr. Redekopp.
I want to say, first of all, that I know Saskatoon is very fortunate to be situated on the South Saskatchewan River. There's a plentiful supply of water there.
The problem with the first nations water did not start with this government. It started a long time ago. Successive governments have not done enough to try to alleviate this problem. We are doing our very best and in the middle of a global pandemic as well.
We are working on it and we will continue to work on it. We will make sure that the water problems that are unfortunately a problem right now in many of our first nations communities are addressed.
View Brad Redekopp Profile
CPC (SK)
Certainly the pandemic has been an issue for the last year, but for the first four and a half years there was no pandemic and there were lots of opportunities to get this done—
View Lenore Zann Profile
Lib. (NS)
Yes, and there were 15 years of a Conservative government before that, or 12 years, so why didn't they do something?
View Brad Redekopp Profile
CPC (SK)
The question for you, then, is this. You've introduced this as a private member's bill. Did you do that because you're concerned that the Liberal government, the way it is, would not address this issue any other way?
View Lenore Zann Profile
Lib. (NS)
No, of course not.
I introduced it because it was a private member's bill that I had introduced in Nova Scotia with the help of Dr. Ingrid Waldron. I believe this is a very important issue.
On my very first day in Ottawa, after being sworn in, I went straight to the legislative department, the lawyers, and asked how I would do a private member's bill about this. I was lucky to win the lottery and be one of the first 25 or so members of Parliament to actually get to introduce a private member's bill. That's how it happened.
View Brad Redekopp Profile
CPC (SK)
Dr. Waldron, given what we just spoke about with the lack of progress by this government on clean drinking water, should this legislation pass and be implemented, are you concerned that the government would be able to actually implement any of this in a positive way?
Ingrid Waldron
View Ingrid Waldron Profile
Ingrid Waldron
2021-04-14 17:35
No, I'm always a hopeful person. That's just my personality.
I think the bill is very pointed. It's obviously just a bill. It's a page long. It's not extremely detailed, but it speaks to all of the issues that are important to me in terms of the collection of data, the intersections of race and socio-economic status.
I feel that in this environment people are willing to listen more. With everything that happened last year, I'm very hopeful there will be movement on this. There is a different understanding about the issue. I think awareness has been raised over the past several years. The environment is right. I think the government is very interested right now in collecting information on systemic racism more broadly.
I just feel there's a right time, and I have a personality that is always really hopeful. I'm so happy that I met Lenore, because she's just like I am. She's persistent and consistent. She is hopeful.
I believe that you attract negativity if you are negative. I am very positive about this. I don't know what the process is like, but I think at some point, this year, hopefully, it's going to move ahead.
I believe in Lenore. I'm here. I don't know whether or not I'm able to support, but I'm here if anybody wants any support or help.
View Brad Redekopp Profile
CPC (SK)
Okay.
This question may be for Ms. Farquharson.
There was discussion about the location of facilities near.... We've been talking about facilities that can cause some trouble, whether they're factories or dumps, but we talked about the consequent environmental risk. I suppose you could use more difficult words than that, but these are areas where there are going to be some environmental challenges.
Have there been any studies done by the department to determine if there are indigenous communities that have these factories or environmental risks co-located near them? Have there been studies on that?
Laura Farquharson
View Laura Farquharson Profile
Laura Farquharson
2021-04-14 18:38
I think I am not in a position to answer definitively about that. I don't know.
I do want to clarify in terms of the siting of a number of industries. Obviously, that's in provincial jurisdiction. Some of them are very much in provincial jurisdiction, but I'm sorry, I can't answer the question.
View Brad Redekopp Profile
CPC (SK)
Okay, then let me try a different one.
When it comes to environmental clean-up projects, does your department track any of those, and are some of those near first nations reserves?
Laura Farquharson
View Laura Farquharson Profile
Laura Farquharson
2021-04-14 18:38
It could be, but I am not the person to answer that question. I don't know whether anybody else who is here from ECCC would know the answer definitively.
Pascal Roberge
View Pascal Roberge Profile
Pascal Roberge
2021-04-14 18:39
It is Pascal Roberge here, and I am responsible for the national pollutant release inventory.
We are tracking pollutant releases, disposal and transfers for treatment and recycling. Our data helps to inform decisions on protecting the environment by allowing communities to track pollutants in their communities. We have pollutant releases identified through their postal codes. Depending on the community, it's possible to use the NPRI, which is the acronym we use for our inventory, to identify and act on environmental priorities and potentially to study the impacts of pollution on our ecosystem and human health.
View Brad Redekopp Profile
CPC (SK)
Along similar lines, another area is indigenous drinking water. Obviously, that's an issue in our country. There's still a lot of bad drinking water.
Have you done research in that area? Do you have any comments about that?
Results: 1 - 15 of 19 | Page: 1 of 2

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