Jagmeet Singh: Trudeau’s empty promise to deliver clean drinking water costs Indigenous families

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh visited Neskantaga First Nation in Ontario on Monday to draw attention to the community’s 26-year drinking water advisory – the longest advisory in Canada. The people in this community live every day with the cost of Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau’s empty promise end the boil water advisories in Indigenous communities, the NDP said.

“Indigenous children and families have lived without clean drinking water for decades. Justin Trudeau campaigned on a promise to end all of that by 2021, but he didn’t mean it – and it’s costing these families dearly,” said Singh. “I’m not Justin Trudeau. I will l fix the water crisis so all people can have clean drinking water.”

In 2015, Justin Trudeau made Neskantaga the symbol of his promise to deliver clean water across Canada by 2021. Today, there are more than 30 communities – including Neskantaga – that are still without water they can drink. During the recent leaders’ debate, Trudeau dismissed criticisms of his inaction on reconciliation as “cynicism,” the NDP said.

“Justin Trudeau sometimes says the right things about reconciliation, but when it comes to basic human rights for Indigenous peoples, he won’t deliver. On something as basic as clean drinking water, he failed to meet this own timeline and has now kicked the can even further down the road,” said Singh. “Justin Trudeau says we can’t act with ‘unlimited zeal’ to make lives better for people across Canada. I will act with unlimited zeal to fix the drinking water crisis and work to improve the lives of all people across Canada.

“I know better is possible. But first you’ve got to vote for it.”