Globally the statistics are stark: 780 million people do not have access to safe water and as a result every 20 seconds a child dies from a water-related illness. Of the 3.4 million people who die every year from water-borne illnesses, 99 per cent are located in developing countries.
As Canadians we are fortunate that there is an abundance of fresh water in this country. However, not all Canadians have equal access to potable water.
There are currently 113 First Nations communities across Canada living under drinking water advisories. This national tragedy of neglect has been allowed to continue for far too long.
The Conservatives are recklessly rushing to exploit Canada’s water resources without proper water protection legislation. Thanks to their dismantling of the Navigable Waters Protection Act, the number of protected lakes and rivers has been reduced to a few hundred, and they cut funding for the world renowned Experimental Lakes Area research facility.
Basic environmental protections are being ignored, allowing contaminants to be released into watersheds that thousands depend on, while governments continue to shirk their responsibilities to monitor and control pollution.
Our marine ecosystems are also in trouble. In his last report, the Environmental Commissioner warned that Canada’s oceans are increasingly threatened by pollution, overfishing and climate change.
Clean water is essential for life. We must recognize that water isn’t just a resource issue; it’s a health, economic and humanitarian issue.
NDP Critic for Canadian Heritage Peter Julian issued the following statement:
"It has come to our attention that a consultant for a federally funded anti-racism project has a disturbing track record of spewing hate speech online against Jewish and francophone communities. This is completely unacceptable. We call on the Minister of Heritage to take drastic action and terminate his contract.
NDP Heritage Critic Peter Julian issued the following statement:
“Today’s announcement by Hockey Canada is another attempt to delay the important and urgent work to deal with the toxic culture in this organization. While a former Supreme Court Justice is a credible appointment to conduct the review into Hockey Canada, this won’t be the first time the organization undergoes this process.
NDP critic for Canadian Heritage, Peter Julian, made the following statement:
“Canadians are horrified by the incidents of sexual assault and by what they’re hearing from Hockey Canada. They are left with many questions about how this toxic culture is allowed to persist in our sports organizations and what the government is actually doing to ensure this doesn’t happen again.