NDP calls on Liberals to stop fighting First Nations in court over clean drinking water

NDP critic for Indigenous Services Lori Idlout (Nunavut) and NDP deputy critic for Indigenous Services Niki Ashton (Churchill—Keewatinook Aski) issued the following statement:

“Liberal-hired lawyers have spent the last week fighting 59 First Nations in court in the most despicable way, saying that Liberal commitments to First Nations weren’t really commitments and just “context specific”, that First Nations don’t have a right to clean drinking water and tried to blame First Nations for Liberal failures. On top of this, we found out that one of Canada’s lawyers argued that First Nations need to approach their lack of clean drinking water with “some maturity and without necessary adjectives.”

These legal comments were condemned by several groups including the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs and the Public Service Alliance of Canada.

Not only are Justin Trudeau’s Liberal-hired lawyers fighting to deny First Nations a right to clean drinking water, but they’re also now calling on those same First Nations that don’t have clean drinking water to ‘show maturity’. This is unacceptable. But unlike Liberal commitments which even their lawyers don’t take seriously, words argued in court matter.

Canada’s lawyers also argued that it’s “not Canada that deprives [First Nations] of their interests, because Canada doesn’t stop you from helping yourself”, which is an argument that should have immediately been stopped by anyone with a conscience.

This is the true face of Liberal-led reconciliation. Justin Trudeau must apologize not only for these cruel comments, but for the fact he’s as committed as his predecessor Stephen Harper to fight First Nations in court. He not only needs to apologize, he needs to end the court case and deliver clean drinking water to Indigenous people.”