Government Must Commit to Re-establishing Committee Investigating Missing and Murdered Aboriginal Women

September 4, 2013

OTTAWA– With the Prime Minister set to prorogue Parliament this month, the Conservatives must immediately commit to re-establishing the Special Committee on Violence Against Indigenous Women or risk compromising the committee’s critical and time-sensitive mandate, said Liberal Aboriginal Affairs critic Dr. Carolyn Bennett today.

“Stephen Harper’s decision to prorogue Parliament will wipe out the work of all Parliamentary committees, including the Special Committee on Violence Against Indigenous Women,” said Dr. Bennett. “If this government is serious about addressing the ongoing tragedy of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, it must immediately pledge to reconstitute the committee and allow it to continue its vital work.”

Over the past 20 years, more than 600 Indigenous women and girls have gone missing or have been murdered in Canada. In February 2013, a Liberal Opposition Day motion – approved unanimously by the House of Commons – established the special committee with a mandate to conduct hearings and produce recommendations on missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.

“While the Conservatives ignored the calls from Aboriginal leaders across the country, the Liberal Party of Canada and the provinces for a national inquiry on this issue, the Conservatives did support the establishment of the committee as a means to address this national tragedy,” said Dr. Bennett. “I think the government owes it to the families of the victims to let Parliament do its job by providing recommendations and then act on them accordingly.”