NDP presses federal government on Nunavut water treatment funding
MP Peter Julian raises question after Nunatsiaq News reported deficiencies in treatment plant inspections
NDP MP Peter Julian, speaking in the House of Commons on Friday, says the federal government must provide the funding needed to ensure Nunavut has safe, clean drinking water. (Photo courtesy of House of Commons ParlVu)
The state of Nunavut’s water treatment plants got a minute of air time in Parliament Friday when an NDP MP accused the federal Liberal government of having “neglected to provide healthy drinking water for Indigenous communities.”
Echoing a report published Tuesday by Nunatsiaq News, Peter Julian, a New Democrat from B.C., said only eight of Nunavut’s 25 water treatment facilities passed their most recent health and safety tests.
The other 17 water treatment plants all had some health or safety deficiencies, according to test results obtained by using Nunavut’s access to information law.
The article also cited Nunavut’s own Drinking Water Strategic Framework, released in 2023, that pegged the cost of fixing what it called the territory’s “infrastructure deficit” in water treatment at $605 million.
“The result is the very real possibility of unsafe drinking water for the people of Nunavut,” Julian said during question period Friday in the House of Commons.
He called on the government to act “urgently” to provide funding to ensure Nunavut communities have clean drinking water.
New Brunswick Liberal MP Jenica Atwin, the parliamentary secretary to the minister of Indigenous services, answered on the government’s behalf. She called it “unacceptable” that any communities lack access to clean drinking water.
Atwin said the Liberals have made “record investments” in clean water, though she didn’t say how much money has been spent.
She referred to the government’s track record of lifting 144 long-term drinking water advisories since 2015.
Though Julian’s question was specific to the reports of deficiencies in Nunavut’s water treatment plants, Atwin’s response focused on what the government has done to address water advisories of First Nations communities.
“Ninety-six per cent of First Nations still have access to their clean water and we’re going to make sure that it stays that way, particularly for the North where there are ongoing challenges that are specific to their region,” Atwin said.
She noted there are “ongoing challenges” specific to the North, without specifying what they are. Atwin said the government will work with them “on an Indigenous-led, Inuit-led solution.”
The question period exchange between Julian and Atwin in the House of Commons lasted about one minute and nine seconds, based on a video the NDP included in a news release the party issued after the exchange.
That release quoted Nunavut MP Lori Idlout, a member of the NDP caucus, saying, “The Liberals have sat back and waited while Nunavut’s infrastructure has fallen apart.
“Our government needs to act now to provide the funding that Nunavut needs to stop this crisis before people get sick.”
The GN receives over 2 BILLION DOLLARS ANNUALLY! They have more than enough funds from the feds, the problem is the GN is not proactive but reactive, a revolving door of transient workers that decide how the GN operates.
Not enough local and community training, regulations and procedures that work.
Throwing more money when the GN already gets so much will do little to nothing as it’s a waste and an internal problem with the GN.
CGS knows the issues but are unwilling to make any changes within their departments.
Feds instead should take control and do a complete review of the GN and force changes.
CGS, from the top down does not have any corporate knowledge, or ability to problem solve or any capicity to solve, gone are the days when you had an engineer as Deputy minister, and replaced by a sport Nunavut person who shows up everyday works hard, but way over his head, and a minister who is a nice guy, but totally detached and does not understand his dept. this is common in Nunavut now.
Who was the last DM of CGS that was a licensed engineer?
at least five or six back, if ever. Also CGS mandate is much larger than just infrastructure. While CGS has internal issues, I think the real main problem lies higher up the food chain.
The engineers CGS has had over the years are, for the most part, embarrassing, and in some cases, outright dangerous. There is no way some of them actually have qualifications, and if they do, then the quality of education and standards of this profession have seriously declined. The DM of CGS does not need to be an engineer but should, at a minimum, be someone with experience in municipal and community-level infrastructure and challenges.
Reform the GN!
You’re asking the wrong Government Mr. Jullian. The GN is responsible for funding municipal infrastructure and training. The GN receives well $2billion annually in transfer payments under the current territorial financing formula. Probably best if you directed your questions to the minister of CG&S and not the PM. Nunavut is not an Indigenous Reserve
NDO rhetoric has long been miscalibrated from reality. It works though, on those prone to quick emotional reactions.
Devol-ution…
If GN is wanting to save a bit of funds, review all the departmental budget, Case-In-Point. Edmonton, Winnipeg and Ottawa Larga Homes. A huge problems with escorts and patients, drunks, missing appointments. This is the case; and what other misappropriation are there over-all funds with departments….? GN mismanagement of funds, millions? I say DMs are the whole problems….their bosses have no clue, none what-so-ever. Yes, 2 billion is enough, just needs to be run by ppl who know how to do stuff (lol).
Sending unreliable and previously untrustworthy escorts out to these cities. I know someone from a high arctic community who had a finger issue and an escort was approved to accompany them to Ottawa for like a week of partying. Taxpayers, you funded that weeklong boozefest. They fortunately made it back to the territory; many others do not!
If the NDP get their way, there will be no such things as provinces and municipalities anymore. They want everything run and controlled (and paid for) by the feds.