On promises

From CBC's headline, it would sound as if Jim Prentice had made a strong personal commitment to take action to improve water safety on First Nations reserves. But Prentice's own words appear to say something else entirely:

"I've had meetings with our officials," Prentice said. "I've indicated what I wanted to see – that I want the communities at risk identified. I've indicated that I want a proactive plan in place for each of those communities."

The problem is that Prentice's position doesn't do anything to specify who's supposed to do the planning...and there's at best an implied commitment to provide any financial support for the task. As a result, barring any further comment from Prentice, it appears all too likely that DIAND is merely imposing another obligation on First Nations without any resources to go with it.

In light of the poor results from past investments, it's tough to argue with the need for better planning as to how to spend money to improve on-reserve conditions. But that planning itself comes at a price...and if the Cons won't even meet that cost, it's difficult to expect any positive change.