Tory slammed for missing women remarks
Zimmer cites report saying lack of jobs on reserves a leading factor in disappearances
A Conservative candidate in Northern B.C. drew boos at an all-candidates’ debate in Fort St. John recently when he suggested one of the main drivers for Canada’s missing and murdered aboriginal women was they didn’t have a job and didn’t stay on the reserves.
Bob Zimmer, incumbent MP for Prince George-Peace RiverNorthern Rockies, was responding to a question about whether he would support an inquiry into missing and murdered women.
“If I thought an inquiry would save one life, I would do it,” he said. He noted there have been several reports, including one by the RCMP, suggesting a major driver for the missing women is the lack of economic activity, “or simply put, the lack of a job,” on reserves.
“Ultimately when people have a job they’re not in despair and they can stay on reserve … and that’s where we want them to be,” Zimmer is heard to say in an audio recording of the event. “A lot of them don’t want to move off reserve, they want to stay there.”
NDP candidate Kathi Dickie, a former chief and councillor with the Fort Nelson First Nations, said she was “flabbergasted” by Zimmer’s comments.
“We had almost 1,200 women murdered because they didn’t have a job, and they wouldn’t stay on the reserve?” Dickie asked. “They are still being murdered. We need an inquiry to get to the root cause of this. It’s a shame on Canada’s reputation.”
The NDP has said, if elected, it would call an inquiry within 100 days. Zimmer argued the Conservatives don’t believe they need another study, saying they are prepared to act, and asked if Dickie had read the “very comprehensive” RCMP report. She countered she didn’t need to because “I’ve lived the life of an aboriginal woman.”
Dickie told The Sun later that she had read the RCMP study twice and was concerned by its methodology because it only includes statistical analysis and no input from aboriginals.
She said there are at least four unsolved murders in her community, and Zimmer’s comments are hurtful to those families whose loved ones are missing or dead.
“It just shows he’s basing his opinion on the Harper government and what it’s telling him to say,” Dickie told The Sun. “They have no sense of how complex this issue is. It’s almost like (he’s saying) it’s their fault they got murdered. If only they got a job, if only they stayed on the reserve.”
Zimmer did not return a request for an interview with The Sun Friday.
Connie Greyeyes, who works with Fort St. John Sisters in Spirit, said she was “deeply saddened” by Zimmer’s comments, noting many of the missing and murdered women were her friends or family. Several victims’ families also contacted her, she said, and were upset.
“In this day and age, for those kinds of comments to come out, especially for missing or murdered women or girls, is unacceptable,” Greyeyes said. “It really pushed a lot of buttons, really hurt a lot of people.
“I don’t think you can backtrack from that. This is exactly why families are calling for an inquiry — this kind of mindset is right across Canada.”
Greyeyes is working with Elections Canada to bump up voters’ lists and said the debate has brought the issue to the fore, prompting many to have a change of heart in this election. The large, rural riding has long been a Conservative stronghold.
“It’s really ignited the First Nations people in this area to get out and vote,” Greyeyes said. “He opened up a huge conversation that probably should have happened.”
Ultimately when people have a job they’ re not in despair and they can stay on reserve… and that’ s where we want them to be.
BOB ZIMMER
INCUMBENT MP FOR PRINCE GEORGE-PEACE RIVER-NORTHERN ROCKIES