ottawa –
A prominent Saskatchewan First Nation chief has accused Conservative House of Commons Leader Andrew Scheer of using a bill recognizing the right to safe drinking water as a political “tactic.”
Chief Erika Beaudin of the Cowesses First Nation said she was disappointed in what happened in the House of Commons on Thursday.
Government legislation, Bill C-61, recognizes that Indigenous peoples have an inherent right to clean drinking water and commits governments to adequate and sustainable funding for Indigenous water services. I am.
As Congress remains deadlocked, Eskasoni Mi’kmaq Liberal MP Jaime Batiste asked for unanimous consent from lawmakers Thursday to send the bill to the Senate. But several Conservative MPs said no.
Mr Scheer, whose horse is also being ridden by Couses, stood up shortly after with a similar motion, including language condemning the Liberal government’s inaction. This too was defeated, meaning the bill was not sent to the Senate.
Although Couses is not under a boil water advisory, Bourdain said people in her area rely on bottled water because they don’t trust the water that comes out of the tap.
“I’m very impressed that he used clean drinking water as a tactic in this House to say, ‘If you do this, we’ll do this,’ when real lives are being affected.” It’s unfortunate,” Bourdain told reporters. Press conference.
“We’re not talking about toys, we’re not talking about non-essential items. But water is essential, and do we believe that we can provide clean drinking water to everyone? , either you don’t believe it or you don’t. And if you do, you’re going to do everything you need to do.” Perhaps you can work towards making it happen. ”
Mr Bourdain added that he knew Mr Scheer was “very sincere” on behalf of those in his riding, and called on Conservatives to help pass the bill.
Government data shows there are 31 long-term boil advisories and 36 short-term boil advisories for Indigenous people across the country.
The situation in the House of Representatives escalated when Mr. Batiste entered the aisle with a glass of water. Batiste later said he considered throwing it to the Conservative benches after the motion failed.
“This is about water protection. In Nova Scotia, they’ve contaminated the water in the Pictou Landing area for generations, if not decades. I had an audience with the congressmen, and I feel like I let them down,” a visibly upset Batiste said.
Indigenous Services Minister Patty Hajdu slammed the Conservative Party’s record on ensuring clean water for Indigenous peoples and accused the party of ignoring Indigenous leadership.
“So it’s a bit of a luxury for them to use that moment to exploit Indigenous people and their water needs to do politics in the House of Commons. It’s appalling,” Hajdu said. spoke.
Mr Scheer said in a statement that his motion was “ashamed” to be shut down because the Liberals wanted to avoid a “proper debate” on Bill C-61.
“Liberal MPs should be furious at themselves. If they follow parliamentary orders, submit documents to the RCMP, and stop covering up the $400 million green slush scandal, we can debate this bill properly today,” Scheer said. said.
Bill C-61 has been the subject of debate in the House of Commons, consideration in committee, and amendments since it was introduced almost a year ago.
At a press conference after the vote, Hajdu and Batiste were flanked by several chiefs and other First Nations representatives, including Bourdain. They were originally scheduled to talk about the bill going to the Senate.
The Assembly of First Nations held a special meeting of chiefs in Ottawa this week, and on Tuesday AFN executives supported a resolution to continue advocating for recognition of the Water Act.
The bill has been stalled on third reading in the House of Commons due to ongoing debate over privileges, which have taken precedence over nearly every other topic since late September.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 5, 2024.
— With files from Alessia Passafiume
