Did we just do it AGAIN to the Indigenous people?

By Pepper Parr

June 18th, 2026

BURLINGTON, ON

Indigenous Service Minister Mandy Gull-Masty’s announcement on the First Nation’s clean water bill.

The federal government tabled the long awaited First Nations Clean Water Act on Tuesday, reviving a piece of legislation that died on paper when parliament prorogued last year.

The bill’s predecessor, Bill C-61, included a clause “recognizing and affirming that it is a human right of every individual on First Nations land to have access to clean and safe drinking water.”

The version tabled by the Carney government drops the explicit mention of rights, and instead promises to advance “the progressive realization of the internationally recognized human right to safe drinking water on First Nation lands.”

The new bill would establish legally enforceable protections for safe drinking water on First Nation lands, with the stated goal of bringing service levels in line with those in non-Indigenous communities.

Asked to explain why explicit reference to access as a human right was dropped, Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty said it was about presenting a bill that could withstand the test of time.

What the federal government has allowed to take place is criminal.  This is long past due.

There are currently 38 active long-term drinking water advisories in Canada. In addition to these, there are dozens of short-term advisories that frequently fluctuate.