Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you to our guests for being here today.
Minister Bennett, my questions will be for you.
Chief Billy Joe Laboucan from Lubicon Lake lost his daughter Bella Laboucan in 2005. He is in constant contact with me about that particular case. I was reading your mandate letter, and one of its bullet points says:
Lead further work to address the number of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls across Canada, and be the lead Minister, in collaboration with the Minister of Justice, the Minister of Status of Women, and the Privy Council Office, supporting the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.
Would you acknowledge that you bear the responsibility for the success or failure of the murdered and missing indigenous women inquiry?