A Metis women’s group is giving the Conservative government a failing grade over its treatment of missing and murdered Aboriginal women.
Melanie Omeniho says Women of the Metis Nation representatives weren’t even invited to appear as witnesses before the parliamentary committee looking into the matter.
The committee tabled its report last week, saying a national inquiry into the issue wasn’t needed.
Omeniho says that doesn’t make sense because the Tories’ current approach clearly isn’t working:
“Obviously their ‘tough on crime’ stance has not changed or affected or impacted any issues related to Indigenous women up to this point. And many of the instances of the 600 missing and murdered Aboriginal women, it hasn’t resulted in somebody even being identified as the perpetrators of those crimes.”
She is calling on the government to include Metis women in an action plan on the issue, noting Metis women and girls face unique circumstances.