Thank you to the member for that important question on World Water Day.

Speaker, our government is proud of our record in keeping Ontario’s drinking water safe for all Ontarians. We have comprehensive legislation and a regulatory framework, including the Safe Drinking Water Act, the Clean Water Act, the Health Protection and Promotion Act. We know water on reserves does not fall under that; it falls under federal legislation. Having said that, that’s not good enough. We’re working with the federal government and with Indigenous communities.

It was this government that, for the first time ever, in the mandate of Walkerton and the Ontario Clean Water Agency, included a mandate to engage with Indigenous communities. I’m pleased to say members of the Ontario Clean Water Agency and Walkerton have been in a number of Indigenous communities on a 24/7 basis, working with Indigenous water operators and the federal government, because it’s not good enough—as previous governments, supported by the NDP—to just pass the buck.

We’re leaning in, working with Indigenous communities.

The member asked what we’re doing.

If we’re going to be intellectually honest with ourselves on the challenge—a lot of it stems from lack of training for water operation.

We know the federal government—this was Indigenous communities that said to the federal government, “Pay us a fair wage.” We supported them.

What has Ontario done? Well, as of June 2022, 168 operators and 116 managers or supervisors have been trained at no cost to Indigenous communities. This was never done by the previous Liberal government. Our government is standing up, working at no cost to these Indigenous communities, and we’re going to work together with them. If the member opposite has any specific communities he feels are not benefiting from that training, let me know and we’ll make sure we have water operators there to work with them.

Thank you to the member opposite for that important question. Speaker, I think it’s important that each and every action that I take as Minister of the Environment and that this government takes is done with Indigenous communities. That’s why when I heard from Chief Duquette at Dokis First Nation about important work we’re doing on adjusting boundaries, we said yes. We said yes as a government: We would work with them to address measures within the Provincial Parks and Conservation Reserves Act, to work—listening—with the First Nations community.

When Merv Cheechoo spoke with us when I was up in Treaty 9 territory and asked about greater protections for French River, we said yes. These are all actions taken by Indigenous leaders, and each and every time we’ve listened. We’ve worked with them to explore the art of the possible. But it’s important to note, Speaker, that this is led by and for Indigenous communities, and I’ll always be willing to work alongside them to achieve their goals and objectives.

When it comes to protecting water and working together, it is this government that, for the first time ever, launched the First Nations Advisory Circle through a mandate that I issued at the Ontario Clean Water Agency. Again, underscored by the principle “never about us without us,” we continue to work with Indigenous communities to protect water in the north.

And, Speaker, it’s this government that has led unprecedented plastic-capture technology on our Great Lakes. It’s this government that is working at unlocking the potential that is the north. When I was on Treaty 9 territory, Chief Archibald welcomed the opportunity that EVs present the north to unlock the potential of this province. We understand—