Should the MMIWG Inquiry be given more time? – Policy Options

There are good reasons to extend the Inquiry, but commissioners should explain precisely what they intend to accomplish and why it justifies extra costs.

Commissioner Marion Buller of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls recently published an essay in the Globe and Mail making the case for a two-year extension to her commission’s mandate. Appointed by the Trudeau government in September 2016, the inquiry is currently required under its terms of reference to submit a final report no later than November 1, 2018.

As of this writing, three weeks have passed since the Commissioner’s essay appeared, and more than nine weeks have passed since the inquiry’s request for an extension was first submitted to the federal government. No response has been forthcoming. For a process already beleaguered by criticism and internal strife, the current uncertainty does little to help the inquiry’s fragile grip on public confidence.

Read More: http://policyoptions.irpp.org/magazines/may-2018/should-the-mmiwg-inquiry-be-given-more-time/