NDP statement on 5th anniversary of National Inquiry into MMIWG

NDP critic for Women and Gender Equality Leah Gazan issued the following statement:

“Five years after the 231 Calls for Justice of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) were tabled the Liberal government is still failing to protect Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQIA+ people—shamefully, only a handful of the 231 Calls for Justice have been implemented. This is unacceptable.

The Prime Minister has acknowledged that the crisis of MMIWG2S+ amounts to an ongoing genocide, but his government is failing to treat it with the urgency it requires. Families and survivors deserve justice, and this government continues to fail them.

The NDP echoes the frustration voiced by the inquiry’s commissioners, Marion Buller and Michele Audette, who have recently expressed their disappointment with a lack of political will in Ottawa for addressing the crisis of MMIWG.

Sustainable, long-term funding is still lacking to protect the lives of Indigenous women, girls and gender diverse people in years to come. Meanwhile, this year’s budget devoted more to auto theft than it did to MMIWG2S. Obviously, this is not a serious priority for this government.

The Liberals must implement all Calls for Justice including Call for Justice 1.7 to establish a National Indigenous and Human Rights Ombudsperson, as well as 4.5 for a guaranteed annual liveable income for all people in Canada. That is why I’ve brought forward Bill C-223 that calls on the government to implement a guaranteed liveable basic income. We know that to protect lives, we need accountability and economic security. The NDP also supports advocates’ call for United Nations oversight on the implementation of the Calls for Justice.

New Democratic will continue to stand up for Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQIA+ people, their families and communities. We won’t stop until justice is served.”