Ottawa could participate in roundtable on missing aboriginal women: MacKay
Posted Sep 3, 2014 12:33:19 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
HALIFAX – The federal justice minister is leaving the door ajar to Ottawa’s participation in a roundtable on murdered and missing aboriginal women that was requested by the premiers and five aboriginal leaders last week.
Peter MacKay’s office issued a statement last week that didn’t directly address the call for a roundtable, but today he says his office could participate in some form of roundtable.
The premiers and aboriginal leaders made the request during their annual meeting last week in Charlottetown.
In May, the RCMP released a study of 1,181 cases involving aboriginal women since 1980.
The study found aboriginal women made up 4.3 per cent of the Canadian population, but accounted for 16 per cent of female homicides and 11.3 per cent of missing women.
MacKay spoke today at an announcement in Halifax on the federal government’s plans for the next generation of navy ships.
