Hamilton debate over missing, murdered indigenous women gets heated

There are 1,181 cases of missing and murdered indigenous women across Canada right now. And on Wednesday, their deaths inspired heated debate amongwould-be MPs for two Hamilton ridings about whether the government should examine why.

Candidates for Hamilton Centre and Hamilton East-Stoney Creek fielded a question about a potential inquiryduringa Hamilton Regional Indian Centre all-candidates meeting.

The answers inspired a square-off between Conservative candidate Yonatan Rozenszjn and candidates from the Liberal and New Democratic parties.

Re-electing the Conservatives means we don't get our inquiry.- David Christopherson, NDP, Hamilton Centre

Hamilton Centre NDP incumbent David Christopherson said his party would launch an inquiry. And he warned the audience of about 30 that another Harper government would mean saying goodbye to that.

"Reelecting the Conservatives means we don't get our inquiry," he said. "To reelect Harper and not have this inquiry is just going to create so much pressure in our country. I don't know where we go after that."

"We desperately need it. We desperately need it."

Rozenszjn, who's running in Hamilton Centre, referenced talkingto aboriginal communities. But he said his party primarily sees the issue as one ofbeing tough on crime.

Everyone else in the room has different ideas on how to deal with crime.- Yonatan Rozenszjn, Conservative, Hamilton Centre

"The prime minister has been very clear that the issue of missing and murdered indigenous women is ultimately a crime issue, and the Conservative party is the only party that's been consistent in its approach to dealing with crime," he said.

Missing and murdered women is a criminal issue, candidate says

"Everyone else in the room has different ideas on how to deal with crime. When we see someone acting inappropriately, we have to stop them and we have to make sure they don't do it again."

Wayne Marston, NDP incumbent in Hamilton East-Stoney Creek, called Rozenszjn's answer "a lecture." And Anne Tennier, the normally calm Liberal candidate for Hamilton Centre, rose to her feet.

"Just having a conversation is not an inquiry," she said as the NDP candidatenodded. "I take offence to that kind of talk, to think we're just going to sit around and have a little fireside chat. This isn't just a conversation."

Just having a conversation is not an inquiry.I take offence to that kind of talk.- Anne Tennier, Liberal, Hamilton Centre

Missing and murdered indigenous women was just one of the issues tackled during the event at Memorial school.

The first-time event was part of a broader effort to get First Nations people to vote, said Susan Barberstock, executive director of the Hamilton Regional Indian Centre.

Historic distrust with the voting process

Aboriginal voter turnout is historically low, she said. This is in part in recognition of First Nations sovereignty, she said. But it's also because until 1960, it meant surrendering one's status under the Indian Act. So voting still carries a stigma.

Three Hamilton-area aboriginal women have been murdered in recent memory, Barberstock said. So the notion of an inquiry hits home.

An inquiry would identify some of the underlying issues of why there is a disproportionate number of missing and murdered indigenous women, she said.

To the parties that promised an inquiry which were the NDP, Liberals and Greens "put your money where your mouth is," she said.

As for the Conservative stance, most of cases of missing and murdered aboriginal womenremainunsolved, she said. "There needs to be an action plan to make sure there are arrests made."