Government policies making it difficult for MMIW inquiry to do its work on time
OTTAWA — The head of the national inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls in Canada says government bureaucracy is smothering the inquiry’s ability to do its work on time.
Marion Buller, the chief commissioner of the troubled inquiry, made the comments while speaking at a Senate committee about the committee’s work Wednesday evening in Ottawa.
When asked if the inquiry was getting the kind of supports it needed to do its work Buller said to be brutally honest, the fact the inquiry was expected to follow the same policies and procedures for hiring practices, contracting and technology and budgeting as all government departments was frustrating and took up time they didn’t have.
The inquiry has about 15 months left of its 28-month mandate and has been plagued with delays and communications issues that this summer prompted Indigenous leaders and families of missing and murdered women to demand the commissioners resign and the whole thing be restarted.