Feds need to spend more on drinking water promise
OTTAWA – The congressional budget official says the federal government will need to increase its planned spending to provide clean water to first states.
The Yves Giroux report this morning says the government has set aside enough money to build water and wastewater systems over the next five years.
Where the government falls short is to help First Nations get the system up and running, which Giroux’s office estimates will require an additional $138 million annually in federal funding.
The Liberals promised during their successful 2015 election campaign to end all hot water advisers in the First Nations within five years of taking office, a timeline given. is to be met this year.
However, the government last year said the target would not be reached, pointing to the pandemic among many other factors that were hindering it.
The Giroux report warns that the longer it takes to deliver on that commitment, the more expensive it becomes to hit the target.
This Canadian Press report was first published on December 1, 2021.
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