APTN National News
OTTAWA–The recently formed Senate Liberal caucus plans to discuss the ongoing issue of murdered and missing Indigenous women during its first open caucus meeting next month.
The 32 Senators once formed part of the Liberal caucus until Liberal leader Justin Trudeau banished them from the fold.
Now freed from party discipline, these Senators plan to “make Parliament work better for Canadians, to make it respond to the needs of Canadians, rather than the needs of political parties and their leaders.”
The Independent Senators plan to open up some of their caucus meetings to the public, turning them into forums on public policy issues that often go overlooked, said Sen. James Cowen, the leader of the Senate Liberal caucus.
Their first open caucus meeting is planned for March 26 and will focus on discussions around the issue of murdered and missing Indigenous women.
“This is an issue that has shocked the conscience of Canadians,” said Sen. Art Eggleton, who also referred to the ongoing search for Loretta Saunders, an Inuk university student from Labrador who went missing in Halifax.
Eggleton said the caucus would be inviting speakers to the caucus to discuss the issue.
The Senate Liberals will also be asking Canadians to submit questions for the Senators to use during the Senate’s question period, post their expenses on a separate website, make all votes free of party discipline and start an ongoing “national conversation” around equalization, where richer provinces help poorer provinces pay their bills.
