StatementbyMissingWomenCommissionofInquiryCommissionerWallyOppal OnJune30th2011IwrotetotheAttorneyGeneralonthesubjectoffundingforparticipants. OnJuly15thofthisyear,theDeputyAttorneyGeneralbroughttotheattentionofmycounsel,Mr.Art Vertlieb,QC,twocommentsImadethathavegivenrisetoaconcernthatImayhaveprejudgedcertain questionsIaminvestigating.IbelievethatitisveryimportantthatthisCommissionproceedinaway thatiscompletelytransparentandfairtoeveryone.ConsequentlyIhavedecidedtosharethose commentsandtoprovidesomeclarificationtoallparticipants. ThefirstcommentwasmadeinmyletterofJune30whichhasbeenpublishedontheCommissions websitesinceearlyJuly.Inthefirstpartofmyletter,Iwrotethefollowingwithrespecttothe1998 prosecutionofRobertPicktonforattemptedmurder: Inneitherinstance[referringtothe1997chargesaswellasapriorinvestigation]were thecasesproceededwith.Iftheyhadbeenitisclearthatthemurderofanumberof missingwomenwouldhavebeenavoided. Thepurposeofthisletterwastogetmyrenewedrecommendationforfundingtothegovernmentas soonaspossibleaftertheprehearingconferenceofJune27,2011.

Theletterandthispassagein particularcouldhavebeenmorepreciselyworded. IdidnotmeantosuggestthatIhadconcludedthatthedecisiontostaythe1997chargeswaswrong, nordidImeantoimplythatifthechargeshadnotbeenstayedthatPicktonwouldhavebeenconvicted. Myintentionwastosuggestthatiftherehadbeensufficientevidencetosupportaconvictionatthat time,Picktonscriminalactivitiesmighthaveendedin1998. Whytherewasnotsufficientevidenceor,forthatmatter,whyPicktonwasnotcaughtearlier,isa questionthatIwillbeinvestigating.However,IwanttostressthatIhaveabsolutelynotreachedany conclusiononthispoint. ThesecondcommentwasmadeonTuesday,July5th,2011.Atthattime,Ileftavoicemailmessagefor thenAttorneyGeneralBarryPenner.Themessagesaid,inrelevantpart: Thesearethewomenwhocomplainedtothepoliceaboutwomenbeingmissingand weregiventhebackoftheirhandsthepolicegavethemthebackoftheirhandsto thesewomenanddisregardedwhattheyhadtosay.Sotheycantcrossexaminethe police,whoareofcoursewellarmedwithpubliclyfundedlawyers Soanyway,Ijustwantedyoutoknowthat,itshowimportantthisallis.Andthe governmentisnowbeingseenasfundingthepeoplewhoallegedlydoneeverything wrongandignoredthewomen,ignoredthevictimsbutnotfundingwillnotgoand fundthevictims,andnotfundthewomen,thepooraboriginalwomen.Thatswhatthe governmentisseenas.Ijustwantyoutoknowthat.

IshouldpointoutthatitisnotuncommonforaCommissionertohavecontactwiththeAttorney GeneralonadministrativemattersaftertheCommissionhasbeenestablished;infactthishappenedon anumberofoccasionsduringmytermasAttorneyGeneral. Obviouslythiswasaprivatephonemessagetoaformercolleaguethatwasnotwordedwiththe thoughtinmindthatitmightbetranscribedandanalyzed,butneverthelessIshouldexplainwhatIsaid. IassumedthattheAttorneyGeneral,asalawyer,wouldunderstandthatthesewerejustmere allegations.IhavealwaysbeencarefultoemphasizethatIrecognizethequestionsthatIaminquiring into,includingtheallegedinadequacyofthepoliceinvestigation,areatthispointbasedonassertions andallegationsthathavebeenmadeovertheyears.So,forinstance,Iusethetermallegedlyinthe secondparagraphabove,andperhapsIshouldhaveuseditinthefirstaswell.Inthisinstancethereare allegationsbysomeindividualsandgroupsthattheyhadattemptedtoalerttheauthoritiestomissing womenandthattheyhavebeenturnedaway,sometimesbrusquely.Thoseaccountsfindsupportinthe VPDsLePardreportwhichsaidessentiallythesamething.Inmyphonemessage,Isimplywantedto emphasizethattheseallegationsdeservetobeexplored,andthatIbelievefundedcounselforthose makingtheallegations,notjustforthoserefutingthem,wouldassisttheprocess. Ofcourse,IrecognizethatIwillhavetoassessthesubstanceofthesemattersonthebasisofthe evidenceandtestimonythatwillcomeoutinthecourseofthehearings.Ihavenotreachedeven preliminaryconclusionsonthefacts.Ihopethatmyjudicialrecord,including23yearsontheCounty, SupremeandAppealCourtbench,demonstratesthatIunderstandtheneednottocometoany conclusionbeforealloftheevidenceandsubmissionshavebeenheard. Iambringingthesematterstopubliclighttogiveanyparticipantthefairopportunity,inlightofthe commentsandmyexplanationtoday,tomakeanysubmissionstheydeemappropriatetothe Commission.ShouldanyparticipantwishtodosotheycancontactMr.Vertlieb.Iamdeterminedthat thisCommissioncontinuetocarryoutitsimportantmandateandtoensurethatthereisnouncertainty hangingovertheprocessaswemovetowardtheinitiationofthehearingsonOctober11,2011.