OTTAWA, ON – Cathy McLeod, Official Opposition Critic for Indigenous Affairs and Member of Parliament for Kamloops – Thompson – Cariboo, attended the official launch of the national public inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls on Aug. 3. MP McLeod issued the following statement:
“Having spent many years as a nurse in Indigenous, rural communities, I too-frequently witnessed first-hand the pain and the violence against women and girls,” MP McLeod said. “There is a need to take action in a way that will make a real difference.”
“The Conservative Party supports the public inquiry, as long as it remains focused on reducing these horrific tragedies and achieving measurable improvements in the day-to-day lives of Indigenous women and girls,” McLeod said.
“As families of victims have expressed, justice is needed for these terrible crimes, and not just more resolutions and recommendations,” McLeod stated. “I urge the Government to provide police with the resources they need to bring perpetrators to justice. Sentencing should reflect the serious nature of the crime. I am concerned about the Liberals’ movement away from appropriate sentences for violent crimes.”
“The Liberal Government has increased the budget from $40 million, stated in Budget 2016, to $53 million, which already represents a 33 per cent increase,” said McLeod. “The Liberals will need to ensure that costs and timelines are kept under control as the inquiry moves forward.
“The Commissioners made a commitment to developing concrete recommendations, and I will be monitoring to see if they materially improve on the more than 40 reports with recommendations that already exist,” McLeod concluded.