Mr. Speaker, the last time I was in conversation on this topic, the inquiry into murdered and missing indigenous women had just filed its report. That was at the beginning of November. We had identified that eight out of the 10 challenges raised by the commissioners of the inquiry, those things that were making it difficult for them to get their work done, to get to the root of the terrible problem of murdered and missing indigenous women, were related to government interference. When I questioned the minister for indigenous affairs and reconciliation in question period, she said that we would get a quick answer and that the government was committed to removing barriers.
Here we are all these months later and we have not yet seen a change.
One of the top and most compelling recommendations of the commissioners in their November report was that the government work collaboratively with the provinces and territories to create a national police task force to which the national inquiry could refer families and survivors to assess or reopen cases, or review investigations. This is extremely important. We have heard repeatedly from families that, where police found their report of a missing or murdered family member to be unfounded or something had just not been investigated or pursued to its very end, it left families in limbo and with no closure.
My colleague from Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River, the New Democrat deputy critic for indigenous services, stated:
I am hearing the desire for law enforcement to be involved and given the necessary resources to solve cold cases of missing Indigenous women from all over Saskatchewan; cases like that of my friend, Myrna Laprise, and her family, who want to know what happened to her aunt who disappeared years ago.
The summer before last, the Native Women's Association of Canada said, again, that it is a missed opportunity that the terms of reference did not specifically invite the investigation of cold cases. It stated:
There does not appear to be an opportunity for families to pursue or reopen cases through the justice system. In fact, for families who want to pursue cases or re-open ones that have been part of the justice system, the Terms of Reference direct that the support the Commissioners can offer is to redirect them to the appropriate provincial or territorial victim services. Families are not looking for mainstream counseling services through victim services but justice. This is a missed opportunity.
To our disappointment, there still has been no government response to this very pressing interim recommendation from the inquiry commissioners, and there is nothing in the budget released last month to address other vital recommendations from the inquiry. There is no response to any of the requests in the report. There is no money to establish a commemoration fund in collaboration with families, survivors, and national and regional indigenous organizations as asked.
Therefore, these are my questions to the government. What is it doing with the recommendations? What assurances is it giving to families and survivors that their asks have been heard, and why was there no money in the budget to specifically address the inquiry's appeals for us to resolve this situation once and for all?