Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

I'd also like to acknowledge that we are having this meeting on the unceded and unsurrendered traditional territory of the Algonquin Anishinabe people.

Thank you on behalf of my colleagues, as well.

I am here with you today to talk about Bill C‑61, An Act respecting water, source water, drinking water, wastewater and related infrastructure on First Nation lands on first nation lands.

Thank you for giving my colleagues and me the opportunity to provide you with some information on this proposed legislation.

Everyone in Canada should have access to safe, clean and reliable drinking water.

First nations communities do not have legally enforceable safe drinking water protections similar to what is in place currently in provinces and territories.

In 2013 the Safe Drinking Water for First Nations Act was created to enable the development of federal regulations to support first nations' access to clean, reliable drinking water and effective treatment of waste water.

However, first nations shared several concerns with this act, including the lack of adequate, predictable and sustainable funding; the lack of recognition of aboriginal rights; the potential infringement of aboriginal and treaty rights; the lack of protection of source water; and insufficient engagement on issues that directly affect first nations.

As part of the 2021 Safe Drinking Water for First Nations Class Action Settlement Agreement, Canada committed to making all reasonable efforts to develop and introduce new proposed legislation in consultation with first nations to replace the repealed 2013 act.

Following the repeal in June 2022, Canada enhanced its engagement by working directly with first nation rights holders, including modern treaty and self-governing first nations, and first nation organizations, including the Assembly of First Nations and the first nations advisory committee that was created subsequent to the litigation settlement, to advance development of new proposed legislation.

Aligned with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Bill C‑61 was developed through engagement that put First Nation voices at the forefront.

Since summer 2022, hundreds of engagement sessions have taken place virtually or in-person, with groups of first nations or individual first nations, based on partner preferences.

Two consultation drafts of a legislative proposal were also shared with all first nations communities and posted online to support broad public review.

Through ongoing engagement with first nation rights holders and first nation organizations, key priorities for new proposed legislation were identified including recognition of rights; sustainable funding for drinking water and waste water services; source water protection; and the need for ongoing engagement on water issues that affect first nations.

Since the summer of 2022 Canada has also engaged with provinces and territories on the multi-jurisdictional issue of source water protection, a key priority identified by first nations.

Provinces and territories expressed mutual interest in safe and clean water, while emphasizing the need for continued respect for provincial and territorial jurisdictions.

In addition, an expanded Assembly of First Nations-Canada dialogue table was created in the late fall of 2022 with the purpose of accelerating collaborative work to develop the proposed legislation.

The leadership and guidance provided by the co-leads—former national chief of the Assembly of First Nations, Phil Fontaine, and the newly elected grand council chief of the Anishinabek Nation, Linda Debassige—have been instrumental in advancing the legislation before you today.

This partnership continues in tandem with the parliamentary process. Bill C-61, the proposed first nations clean water act, aims to address key priorities raised by first nations by ensuring that first nations have reliable access to safe drinking water and effective wastewater services; affirming the inherent right of first nations to self-government, including jurisdiction over water, source water, drinking water, waste water, and related infrastructure on, in, and under first nation lands; ensuring consistency with section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982, and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, including through consultation on federal, regulatory and fiscal allocation decisions; establishing principles for decision-making, minimum national standards and a federal regulatory regime for water services on first nations' lands; and facilitating collaboration between first nations and federal, provincial, territorial and municipal governments on transboundary source water protection, including through a first nations-led water commission.

The proposed first nations clean water act represents a historic opportunity for rights recognition to address harms of the past and to help ensure that they never happen again.

With that, we are happy to answer any questions that the committee may have.

Thank you.