During the evening of October 19 when it was declared the Liberals had won a majority government, the CPC announced Stephen Harper was stepping down as leader of the party but would remain as an MP. This set off a race for an interim leader of the party who would lead the party until a permanent leader can be chosen. It is expected the leadership race, when it begins will be a long one.
Eight candidates vied for the position of interim leader. Last week the caucus of MPs and senators elected long-time Alberta MP Rona Ambrose as interim leader.
One of the contentious issues during the last parliament was whether or not a public inquiry should be called concerning missing and murdered aboriginal women. The Tories under Harper had always opposed such an inquiry.
During the election campaign, Harper noted the time has passed to study the issue; there have already been at least 40 examinations on missing and murdered aboriginal women. It is now time for action that will be accomplished by tougher laws not only concerning violence against aboriginal women, but against all women.
The RCMP have noted that the rate of crimes solved of violence perpetrated against aboriginal women is about 90%, the same as that of non-aboriginals. It has also been determined that the majority of these offences are committed by persons known to the victim; spouses and intimate partners. These offences by and large are committed by other aboriginals.
One of Ambrose's first comments after being chosen as the interim leader was to say she will support such an inquiry. The interim leader told CBC Radio that missing and murdered aboriginal women should not be a partisan issue and she will do anything to help. She also posed with who seems to now be her BFF, Jody Wilson-Raybould, Canada's new Minister of Justice.
While Ambrose is correct that the issue of murdered and missing women should not be a partisan issue, whether or not to spend tax money on an inquiry when so many investigations and studies have already been done, is.
Ambrose's apologists say well, the Liberals have a majority government and they want an inquiry so there will be an inquiry. The Alberta MP has made a good start in what could be her way of governing in opposition; going along to get along.
If it is true that the Conservatives should support the inquiry because they are powerless to stop it, all opposition MPs should just pack up and go home. After all the Liberals are going to do what they want to do so the Tories should just agree with them.
Critics of the Tories love to refer to the party as "Republican-lite." Unfortunately, Ambrose is not just mimicking the Republicans but the non-conservative establishment of that party. The establishment doesn't like ObamaCare and would like it repealed but if they do repeal it, Obama would just veto it so why bother. Let's just go out for some drinks.
The NDP and its predecessor CCF have never held power federally in Canada. Yet they oppose legislation and policies they are opposed to without the excuse they will probably be enacted anyway. And although these parties have never governed Canada, their imprint can be seen in much of Canada's social legislation.
Love them or hate them, the Dippers would never agree with the government just to get along.
There are valid reasons not to call a public inquiry into missing and murdered aboriginal women. Jeffery Simpson, writing in the left wing Globe and Mail, argues public inquiries work well when there is a narrow well-defined issue that needs to be examined. He gives the 2000 inquiry into the e coli outbreak in Walkerton, Ontario in the 1990s and the inquiry into the 1971 riots at Kingston Penitentiary as examples of when inquiries are useful. An inquiry into missing and murdered aboriginal women would be broad and drawn out and result in telling us what we already know.
Although conservatives in Canada cannot expect the Tories to be socially conservative, they can at least expect them not to throw taxpayer money at a feel-good inquiry.
Ambrose was first elected in 2004. Unlike many of her caucus colleagues she has sat in Parliament as a member of the opposition. She should know better.
If the interim leader continues on this path, there will be no effective opposition to the majority Liberals.
Ambrose has at least one thing in her favour--she's a woman. That's important "because it's 2015."
During the evening of October 19 when it was declared the Liberals had won a majority government, the CPC announced Stephen Harper was stepping down as leader of the party but would remain as an MP. This set off a race for an interim leader of the party who would lead the party until a permanent leader can be chosen. It is expected the leadership race, when it begins will be a long one.
Eight candidates vied for the position of interim leader. Last week the caucus of MPs and senators elected long-time Alberta MP Rona Ambrose as interim leader.
