Ottawa- Cathy McLeod, Member of Parliament for Kamloops – Thompson – Cariboo attended the first Special Committee on Indigenous Women on March 26, in the House of Commons.
“I was asked to serve on this special committee to investigate the issue of missing and murdered aboriginal women,” said McLeod. “Our mandate is to report back to the House of Commons within one year.”
This committee was formed following unanimous support for a motion in the House of Commons. The motion reads as follows:
That the House recognize that a disproportionate number of Indigenous women and girls have suffered violence, gone missing, or been murdered over the past three decades;
that the government has a responsibility to provide justice for the victims, healing for the families, and to work with partners to put an end to the violence;
and that a special committee be appointed, with the mandate to conduct hearings on the critical matter of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls in Canada, and to propose solutions to address the root causes of violence against Indigenous women across the country;
that the committee consist of twelve members which shall include seven members from the government party, four members from the Official Opposition and one member from the Liberal Party, provided that the Chair is from the government party;
that in addition to the Chair, there be one Vice-Chair from each of the opposition parties; that the committee have all of the powers of a Standing Committee as provided in the Standing Orders, as well as the power to travel, accompanied by the necessary staff, inside and outside of Canada, subject to the usual authorization from the House;
that the members to serve on the said committee be appointed by the Whip of each party depositing with the Clerk of the House a list of his or her party’s members of the committee no later than March 28, 2013;
that the quorum of the special committee be seven members for any proceedings, provided that at least a member of the opposition and of the government party be present; that membership substitutions be permitted to be made from time to time, if required, in the manner provided for in Standing Order 114(2); and that the Committee report its recommendations to the House no later than February 14, 2014.
“I know that this issue has affected many people in our constituency and I look forward to studying this complex issue,” concluded McLeod.