OTTAWA — A former B.C. attorney general who led the province's Missing Women Commission of Inquiry says the federal government must strike the right tone and clearly define the terms for its own study of missing and murdered aboriginal women.
Wally Oppal, who conducted hearings and published a 2012 report on how authorities handled cases involving missing and murdered women, says the incoming Liberal government must determine what kind of inquiry it will conduct to ensure it is proactive in nature.
Oppal also says the Grits should take previous inquiries into account to ensure the new investigation does not retrace old ground.
In their election platform, the Liberals committed to "immediately" starting a national public inquiry into missing and murdered indigenous women and girls in Canada.
The party said it would seek recommendations for governments, law enforcement and others to help "solve these crimes and prevent future ones."
It also committed to spending $40 million on the study over two years.