Liberals to table newest version of First Nations clean drinking water bill

Prime Minister Mark Carney's government is preparing to introduce a new bill aimed at ensuring First Nations have access to clean drinking water. The legislation is expected to be tabled in the House of Commons on Monday, just before MPs depart for their summer break, meaning it is unlikely to be debated and passed into law until the fall.

However, a draft of the bill, obtained by Global News and marked "for consultation until June 11, 2026," reportedly omits a key provision from a previous iteration. This removed clause would have explicitly recognized First Nations' human right to clean drinking water. It remains unclear if any amendments were made to the draft following the consultation period.

This new legislative effort follows the introduction of Bill C-61 in 2023 under former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government. That bill, which aimed to go beyond the terms of a 2021 lawsuit settlement, included provisions for source water protection and affirmed the human right to clean drinking water. However, it faced opposition from Alberta and Ontario, which raised concerns about its potential impact on resource development. Bill C-61 ultimately died when Parliament was prorogued.

Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty had previously vowed that a new bill would affirm First Nations’ human right to clean drinking water. Despite this, some First Nations leaders have stated they were not consulted on the current draft legislation. While both the previous and current bills share the overarching goal of ensuring reliable access to safe drinking water and wastewater treatment for First Nations, the new draft appears to soften the language regarding the affirmation of clean drinking water as a human right.

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It is declared to be the policy of the Government of Canada to further the progressive realization, for individuals on First Nation lands, of the human right to safe drinking water, as protected by t