Carney government backs away from decree that First Nations have a ‘human right’ to safe drinking water (opens original article in a new tab)

The Carney government has revised its First Nations water bill to remove explicit recognition of clean drinking water as a human right, replacing it with a policy goal of progress toward that goal while pledging $4.6 billion for infrastructure. First Nations leaders and opposition parties criticized the change as weakening protections and reducing Indigenous involvement in water regulation development.

• Carney government removes 'human right' language from First Nations water bill, replacing it with policy goal of progress toward safe drinking water
• Government pledges $4.6 billion over five years for water infrastructure and system maintenance
• First Nations leaders criticize bill for weakening protections and reducing their involvement in water regulation development
• Bill now states First Nations have jurisdiction over source water on their lands, but lacks explicit recognition of clean water as a human right
• Provincial governments had previously urged removal of environmental policies seen as hindering resource development