Outcry ensues as Tory-dominated committee nixes chance of missing and murdered women inquiry

A highly anticipated all-party Parliamentary committee report has raised the ire of opposition parties and First Nations groups across the country.

The report on curbing rates of violence against Aboriginal women released Friday makes 16 recommendations. Suggested measures include creating a public awareness campaign, strengthening the public justice system, maintaining the government's commitment to develop the Canadian Victims Bill of Rights, implementing a national DNA missing persons index and providing more support for on-reserve Aboriginals.

To the chagrin of many, however, the Tory-dominated committee does not recommend a national inquiry.

The Native Women's Association of Canada has documented more than 580 occurrences of missing or murdered Aboriginal girls and women. They — along with all the opposition parties, each of the provincial premiers, the United Nations Human Rights Council, and the Assembly of First Nations — has called for a national inquiry.

Liberal MP Carolyn Bennett says the committee process was an "embarrassment" thanks to Tory partisanship.

"This is a total travesty from the way that Parliament used to be able to work. Parliament used to be able to hear the witnesses and then honourably reflect what the witnesses said in the report," Bennett told reporters.

"The [witness recommendations] were replaced by a disappointing list of what aren't even recommendations. When you look at the words in the recommendations that have been tabled today you will find verbs like continue, maintain, continue, continue.

"That isn't what the families want to hear. They actually want action. They want things to happen. And, as you know, the number one thing they wanted to happen was a national public inquiry."

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New Democrat MP Jean Crowder said that, once again, the Conservative government is failing Indigenous women.

"It is appalling that after hearing witness after witness testify that much more needs to be done on missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, the Conservatives could produce a sanitized report saying that everything is fine," Crowder, who sat on the committee, said in a statement.

"This is an intergenerational tragedy that demands immediate action."

The NDP is calling for an inquiry along with other measures which include addressing chronic underfunding for Aboriginal frontline services, shelters, child welfare, and research.

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And AFN Chief Shawn Atleo says the report doesn't go far enough.

"The Special Committee on Ending Violence Against Indigenous Women heard emotional, powerful and constructive testimony and yet it’s clear those voices were not heard," Atleo said in a statement.

"We know we cannot achieve the change we need without a clear, unequivocal commitment and systemic change to ending violence and taking all the necessary steps to ensure Indigenous women and girls are safe. This report is disappointing to Indigenous women and girls and all Canadians who stand with us."

Ernie Crey, whose missing sister's DNA was found on serial killer Robert "Willie" Pickton's pig farm in Port Coquitlam, says victims' families will continue the push for a national inquiry.

"I'm not interested in seeing a national inquiry into missing women, if it's just a recap of everything that's gone on that led to the impoverishment and dis-empowerment of aboriginal people," Crey, a policy adviser for the Stó:lō Tribal Council in British Columbia, told Yahoo Canada News.

"What I'm interested in is a national inquiry that takes us to a place where we can come up with a national strategy. What are specific things that we need to do in Canada to reduce the incidences of violence...and finally tackle the issue of what needs to be done to reduce the disappearance and deaths of so many aboriginal women."

[ Related: The future of First Nation relations: peace or strife? ]

For their part, the Tories have consistently said that they are not interested in a costly and time consuming public process.

"This is well past the time for more studies and inquiries. There have been almost 40 in this country in the last number of years," Justice Minister Peter MacKay said in the House of Commons on Thursday.

"We are taking action. We are putting tougher sanctions in place. We are giving police more tools to investigate crimes like the death of Loretta Saunders. As the member has asked for, we are putting more programs in place to support women and girls on reserve. We are taking substantive action to help address this issue, not study it, not talk about it. We are taking action that gets results."

This saga is, unfortunately, likely to be continued.

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