Libby calls on Ministers for a public inquiry

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Posted on 2009.12.17

Libby calls on Ministers for a public inquiry

The Honourable Peter Van Loan
Minister of Public Safety
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6

The Honourable Michael de Jong
Attorney General of British Columbia
Parliament Buildings
Victoria, BC V8V 1X4

Dear Ministers Van Loan and De Jong,

I write once again to express my full support for a public inquiry into the actions of the Vancouver Police Department (VPD) and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in the investigation of Vancouver’s missing women.

I first raised this issue in Parliament in 2001, calling for an inquiry into police actions, and for the federal government to work with all levels of law enforcement to stop the disappearance of so many women from the Downtown Eastside.

Today, questions remain about the police investigations and why it took so long for a special task force to be put together, whether there was negligence and wrong doing by law enforcement officials in carrying out their duties, and what crucial lessons must be carried forward.

I commend the diligence, perseverance, and courage of Ms. Maggie de Vries in her struggle for justice for her sister, and I am encouraged by the recent news that Police Chief Jim Chu and Deputy Chief Doug LePard now support a public inquiry.

It is critically important to recognize that there are many women in the Downtown Eastside who are still at risk daily, due to neglect, stigmatization and the failure of governments to act. I therefore also urge the government of British Columbia and City of Vancouver to act swiftly to make public the recommendations and findings of the internal investigation by the Vancouver Police Department.

Sincerely,

Libby Davies, MP

Libby renews call for public inquiry into Vancouver’s missing women

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Posted on 2009.12.17

Libby renews call for public inquiry into Vancouver’s missing women

Call to coincide with International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers

VANCOUVER – On the international day to raise awareness of violence and discrimination against sex workers, MP Libby Davies (Vancouver East) has renewed her call for a public inquiry into the actions of the Vancouver Police Department and the RCMP in their investigation of Vancouver’s missing women.

“I first raised this issue in Parliament in 2001, calling for an inquiry into police actions, and for the federal government to work with all levels of law enforcement to stop the disappearance of so many women from the Downtown Eastside,” said Davies. “Almost nine years later, many questions still remain.”

In a response to a recent email from Maggie de Vries, the sister of Sarah de Vries who disappeared in 1998, VPD Police Chief Jim Chu and Deputy Chief Doug LePard publicly stated their support for an inquiry.

“I commend the perseverance and courage of Maggie de Vries in her struggle for justice for her sister, and I’m encouraged by the new support from the Vancouver Police,” said Davies.

Davies’ Private Member’s Motion in 2002 led to a special Parliamentary Sub-Committee to examine solicitation laws. The goal was to improve the safety of sex trade workers and the community in general, recognizing that many of the missing women worked in the sex trade.

For more information about the International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers, visit www.swopusa.org.

NDP MPs past and present mull bids for Vancouver mayoral election

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NDP MPs past and present mull bids for Vancouver mayoral election

Two prominent NDP politicians say they are seriously considering a run for mayor of Vancouver in order to unite progressive parties against the centre-right Non-Partisan Association and tackle the city's extraordinary housing crisis. With the announcement last month that Mayor Gregor Robertson will not run again in October after 10 years in power with his Vision Vancouver party, the field has been thrown wide open, with all parties scrambling to devise strategy and field candidates. Over the weekend, former NDP MP Libby Davies and current NDP MP Don Davies – not related – both said they are talking to a wide range of people about how best to unite the centre-left and left-wing vote among Vision Vancouver, the Green Party, the Coalition of Progressive Electors (COPE) and OneCity. Both say they're considering running because Vancouver is in serious trouble, with out-of-control housing costs and a sense that the city is failing residents. "It feels like the city is in shock," said Ms. Davies, who will be 64 at the end of the month. "People are hurting from struggling to live in the city. Whoever runs, there's something big out there, and that person has to connect to people who are feeling lost."

The original article, NDP MPs past and present mull bids for Vancouver mayoral election was published on February 12, 2018 in The Globe and Mail. Author(s): Frances Bula

Keep Parliament working!

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Keep Parliament working!

Rumours swirling around Ottawa suggest the Conservative government is thinking of shutting down Parliament until after the Olympics, killing some of its own bills but also ending the discussion of Afghan detainees that is nibbling away at Tory popularity. “I have heard that from some of the public servants,” Liberal House Leader Ralph Goodale said Monday of a potential prorogation. “The word they are getting is ‘get ready to clear the decks. Anything that needs to get done before a parliamentary session ends, get it done.' ” …..Libby Davies, the NDP House Leader, said she had not heard the rumours that the parliamentary session could be ended. “I can't imagine what reason they would have to prorogue the House,” she said, “especially when it's the Conservatives who make such a big deal of their legislation and their crime agenda and things being held up.”

The original article, Ottawa buzzing with talk of proroguing Parliament was published on December 15, 2009 in The Globe and Mail. Author(s): Gloria Galloway

Libby fighting the HST in Parliament – Libby Davies

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Libby fighting the HST in Parliament

Delta-Richmond East Conservative MP John Cummins supports the HST, but says Premier Gordon Campbell is using it to gouge B.C. residents. The harmonized sales tax moved closer to reality in B.C. and Ontario last week after the House of Commons voted in favour of the tax. The Liberals and Bloc Quebecois backed the Conservative government’s motion for an amendment to the Excise Tax Act. The NDP was in opposition….Asking why the Conservative government is trying to ram through the HST bill, NDP Deputy Leader Libby Davies (Vancouver-East) said, “It seems like Mr. (Prime Minister Stephen) Harper is pulling a page out of Mr. Campbell’s playbook. Mislead, obfuscate and try limit public debate on the HST.”

The original article, Campbell must’ve known: Cummins was published on December 11, 2009 in Richmond News. Author(s): Sandor Gyarmati

Libby speaking out for freedom of expression – Libby Davies

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Libby speaking out for freedom of expression

Greenpeace T-shirts have been banned from Parliament after the organization staged an illegal demonstration on the Hill this week. The ban is due to “recent events,” a security guard told a reporter from The Canadian Press who entered the Parliament buildings as a visitor Thursday wearing a Greenpeace T-shirt. The reporter put on the shirt to confirm reports that security was searching visitors for Greenpeace logos……New Democrat MP Libby Davies said she understands Monday’s protest may have heightened tensions, but Parliament Hill is a place that should defend freedom of expression. “The fact is, wearing a T-shirt that says Greenpeace on it does not mean that you’re going to do something out of line,” she said. “I think they need to have a measured and reasonable response.”

The original article, Greenpeace logo banned in Parliament buildings was published on December 11, 2009 in CBC.ca. Author(s): The Canadian Press

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