Singh criticizes Trudeau’s ’empty promises’ on Indigenous drinking water

The NDP leader, Jagmeet Singh, says no excuse is acceptable for the Liberals’ failure to honor their 2015 pledge to lift all drinking water advisories in Indigenous communities.

Speaking to reporters Monday morning in Sioux Lookout, about 230 km northwest of Thunder Bay, Ont., Singh did not deny that it is difficult to reach remote communities. But he believes that the wealth and technology in Canada are sufficient to lift all the advisories that are still in effect in these communities.

“These Indigenous people continue to be denied a basic human right to safe drinking water,” Singh said. ” This is unacceptable. “

The NDP leader was due to campaign later Monday in the Oji-Cree community of Neskantaga, which has endured a drinking water advisory for more than 25 years.

Neskantaga Chief Wayne Moonais said in a statement that his communities will welcome Mr. Singh for the second time in a month, so that he can see firsthand the impacts of this notice on the living conditions of Indigenous people for 26 years. .

Mr. Trudeau had promised during the election campaign in 2015 to lift all long-term advice on the quality of drinking water by March 2021. His government acknowledged last December that this deadline would not be respected, despite the lifting in five years of more than 100 long-term advisories on the quality of drinking water.

Last March, while 52 long-term Aboriginal advisories were still in effect in 33 communities, the Liberal government assured that it remained determined to end all notices, but that it would not set a new deadline.

Mr Singh did not provide details on how he would end the remaining opinions faster than the Liberals, but said he would make it a priority if elected.

“For a G7 country, it is not a problem of resources, it is not a problem of access to technology, it is not a question of access to resources: it is simply necessary to make one. priority, and that’s what we’ll do, ”he said.

Singh also criticized the Liberals’ progress on housing and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

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