MLA's week Februay 17-20, 2014

A snapshot of some of the talking points from the North Coast MLA Jennifer Rice, during this week's proceedings of the Legislature.

The representative for the North Coast made her debut contribution to the 2014 session in the Legislature on Tuesday morning.

Making some inquiries of the Justice Minister Suzanne Anton, on the topic of a shuttle Bus for communities of the North, part of the recommendations of Justice Wally Oppal during his Missing Women's Commission Hearings.

Last Friday people gathered in cities across North America to call for justice for missing and murdered aboriginal women. This government has failed to implement most of the 63 recommendations from the Missing Women Inquiry report. The inquiry made two urgent recommendations. One of those urgent recommendations was for the government to bring in a shuttle bus along the Highway of Tears. My question is to the Minister of Justice. When will women and girls have access to safe, accessible transportation along the Highway of Tears?

Members on this side of the House would like to see action that prevents women and girls from going missing, actions like taking a shuttle bus along the Highway of Tears. When you travel this highway, there are haunting billboards telling us not to hitchhike, and yet women are hitchhiking beneath these billboards. Women and girls continue to be at risk because they have no other option. While the Missing Women Commission recommended that a shuttle be brought in immediately, this government has failed to do so. 

More than a year later nothing has been done. In fact, Greyhound Bus service has been reduced. Again to the Minister of Justice: when will this government take action on an absolutely vital transportation link on the Highway of Tears? -- MLA Rice from the Legislature Record February 18, 2014

You can review her entire speech to the legislature (and the response from Justice Minister Suzanne Anton) from the Legislature Record it starts just above the 1050 mark on the right hand side.  You can view the presentation from the February 18th morning session Video Archive at the 20:45 mark on the clock at bottom right.

You can review our past weekly reviews from our Legislature archive page.

There is more background on the North Coast MLA available from our Legislature home page.