I guess the chiefs do not want Good Paying JOBS on the reserves for WOMEN, The women would not be able to be abused so easy, If the Women had jobs, money and self respect,that come from good paying JOBS. What a Bad idea says the CHIEFS and the Most of the MALES on the reserves.

Zimmer’s a bit of an idiot but that is a rather bizarre interpretation of his statement.

I think Zimmer is too full of himself to withdraw.
lets just call him mini-Harper

Zimmer’s suggestion would also apply well to the high percentage of native males in our prisons. The wealthy Chief’s don’t like hearing the truth. The social nightmares on reserves in our country are more their responsibility than any other.

So if you’re average you are called aboriginal or First Nations. But if you’re a BC Chief you are an Indian ? Weird.

I thought people wanted jobs and economic development. A strong economy, where people can prosper and a government that actually does something and doesn’t just do another inquiries.

I am personally a bit sick of inquiry after inquiry and then nothing. We get the same old same old.

Seemed like to me Bob said let’s stop doing inquiries and start doing something. Seems to me he might be on the right path. He may have chosen poor words but had the right idea. Or maybe we have gotten so used to government only doing enquiries, that might be all we want. If so that sucks if you ask me.

Does Palopu have the answer? Another Conservative response!

I have absolutely no idea what Zimmer was getting at.

It’s like he was in robot mode trying to reiterate an election speaking point on the economy, but he didn’t realize that doing so made no sense whatsoever within the context of the question.

I don’t think his response paints him as a biggot, I think it paints him as someone who either doesn’t understand the issue, or as someone who isn’t allowed to say what he actually thinks.

I don’t approve of Zimmer’s opinion but I don’t think he should resign.

The people have a choice to vote for him or someone else.

Voting for this guy only reflects the intellect of the voter.
I would like to think people have the intellect to make the right choice.

I find the conservative approach to almost every issue very disturbing.

Yes maybe a poor choice of words by Zimmer. He should have just said he agreed with a prior statement made by a former Conservative last week, which referred to “individuals possibly putting themselves in harms way” like hitchhiking on highways.

Last fall I noticed a young First Nations lady hitchhiking for a ride to a Westerly direction, also in full view of a RCMP officer who happened to be sitting by the mail boxes doing paper work by the Jolly Rogers on Hwy 16 West. I pulled up to him pointed this lady out to the officer and asked him why he didn’t go over and give her hell, as this was the exact same place that Micheal Houwer ( a white girl who had been tree planting) was last seen over a decade ago and is still missing.

The officer told me that ” I’m sorry my friend, I cannot do anything about it, as it is not against the law to hitchhike, but is is against the law to pick up a hitchhiker” Go Figure!!

Maybe he said exactly what he was scripted to say.

Today’s paper has the rest of Zimmer’s comments. The part about staying on the reserve and simply being happy doing so is mind boggling. He does not seem to have a clue about the missing and murdered women issue at all. It is a very complex issue. Not all women were First Nation, some had jobs, they were murdered or went missing either off or on a reserve, etc. A simplistic solution is no solution at all.

Many inquiries have been made already and to some the efforts made and results are still unacceptable. Have the First Nations had enough input or do they have a better approach which was not taken into account?

Since we all try to live together with respect for each other it may be necessary to sit down together and make every effort to get to the very bottom of the problem, once and for all.

Conservatives practicing their dog whistle politics. Vote for us and we will show the minorities. Aboriginals, refugees, muslims. They might not be racist but they appreciate the racist support.

This is the last week of the Federal Election.

The First Nations people have been asked by their leaders to get out and vote, and not to vote for the Conservatives.

The statement made by Zimmer was.

**One of the major drivers of missing and murdered aboriginal women, is lack of economic activity, or simply put, a lack of a job.**

Seems to me he was expressing an opinion, which (contrary to what some people might think) is allowed in this Country.

Grand Chief Phillips statement, try’s to imply that Zimmer said.

**Aboriginal women should stay home, stay on the rez and get a job.**

Problem is Zimmer never said anything even close to that interpretation.

So should we ask the Grand Chief to resign his position for misquoting a MP, or should we look at his statement in light of the election, where it becomes obvious it was political.

In war they say the first casualty is truth. I would say the same thing applies to politics.

Tackdog, we observed a similar situation a couple of years ago just across from the Westgate Mall. A young non First Nation woman holding out her thumb, a suitcase sitting on the ground beside her. We even thought about turning around and advising her that hitchhiking was illegal. But a RCMP vehicle was going in that direction so we assumed that the issue had been looked after. It probably was not.

Some laws make sense, others do not.

So they didn’t like something someone said, and demand the guy leaves his job? lol, what a pile of tools.

Zimmers comments lacked a bit of compassion but his views are his views.

possibly it was a slip up , let him explain his opinion. Voters can make a decision afterwards. Pretty simple. I will not be voting for him or his party, not because of this one slip up but because of many expressed opinions and tactics of the conservative party.
They are all in front of us and the voter can decide.

Anyone with an open mind may get a copy of today’s paper and read the rest of the Zimmer story. Defending the indefensible is a waste of time.

Palopu a lot of candidates who expressed their opinion had to step down… Most for posts online years ago. Zimmer was worse.. Shows how uncaring he is to the plight of the missing women.. Almost suggesting it’s their fault.

What he said was paternalistic and patronizing. Not only the remarks about staying on reserve and getting a job but he was condescending to Ms. Dickie, “did she read the report(s)”. From the PG Citizen: Ms. Dickie’s history of community involvement has been heavily rooted in education for 3 decades. She served on the school-board equivalent Community Education Authority for about 20 years and during that time returned to school to to finish her teaching degree. After teaching for a few years, Dickie said she wanted to find another way to serve her community and began working for the First Nation in economic development and employment fields. Dickie currently serves as a councillor for Fort Nelson First Nation and was the first woman to be elected chief of the band in 1988.

I’m thinking she’s more likely to have read the report and understand it’s impacts on her community and Aboriginal women before believing that than he has.

So he says more needs to be done, yet the Conservative party has cut funding to every women’s program they could.

Of course the Conservatives don’t want an inquiry. The Harper Government practices “willful ignorance” by muzzling scientist and public servant, destroying archives and libraries, introducing 400 to 800 page omnibus bills while limiting debate and study time, their legislation has been ruled unconstitutional and the PM was found in contempt of Parliment for refusing to disclose the F35 costing.

This should serve a a wake up call. I say we should have a manditory helmet law for rugby players of all ages .

Anniemartin, I fully agree. The Conservative mantra is in my opinion the most mean spirited, racist and divisive approach put into practice I have ever seen in all my years of following politics. I am not talking about well meaning respectful members but about how ten years of autocratic top down unbending rule can change a party into a shadow of its former self.

I shudder at the thought that my riding may be represented by a MP who still thinks that we live in colonial times.

Therefore, I will go and vote today with the hope that there will be a change and our Canada will be having a better future!

That’s it! Thank you 250news for allowing me to express my thoughts.

Have a great Thanksgiving!

The rest of Canada demand Chiefs step down as they have presided over decades of deficient leadership resulting in dysfunctional societal lack of support for their women.

I borrowed the above from another blog. I believe it says a lot about the chiefs and councils trying to deflect some blame and responsibility from themselves and the despicable NDP politicking the issue for political gain.

Come on people read, it was the chief that made the statement not Zimmer, oh lefties so undemocratic and gullible.

8:47 am by Palopu

” In war they say the first casualty is truth. I would say the same thing applies to politics. ”

That would explain Doherty’s performance the other night.

Okay, wait a minute. The reason some 1200 women have disappeared, or been murdered, along the Highway of Tears is because they felt despair at the limited economic opportunities on reserves?

I daresay the reason some 1200 women have disappeared, or been murdered, along the Highway of Tears is because an individual or individuals have murdered them. Did Zimmer mean that if these murderers just got a few more hugs, they might have been productively employed and then all these women might have survived?

This is just more provocative Conservative claptrap. Even if you give Zimmer the benefit of the doubt and presume he’s not a racist, it’s tough to escape the conclusion that he forgot to engage his brain when he opened his mouth. What I find particularly damning is that it’s a reflection of “hey, let’s blame the victims” mentality. And that, my friends, is not leadership. It’s cowardice.

Just when I thought Stevie couldn’t stoop any lower , he does ! In his latest attack ad , he attacks the mentally ill . The guy has no shame what so ever . Or any class . I’d like to say he is running scared but everyone know the best he could muster would be a slow lumber or waddle .

Palopu, you need some more fact checking.

Here is Zimmers quote,

“One of the major drivers of missing and murdered aboriginal women is the lack of economic activity, or simply put, the lack of a job.… Ultimately, when people have a job, they’re not in despair. They can stay on reserve, and that’s where we want them to be,” Zimmer said at the time.

Maybe he wanted to say something else, but he didn’t.

He’s also left out the missing girls . Are they supposed to solve their abduction and murder by getting a job? This tack is another pmo talking point . Who needs a moral compass when you just have to open your email and get your views and compass heading from the pmo every morning ? Robo-mp .

loserloss, as a self proclaimed porker trucker, I would think you would have empathy for those of surplus girth.

This is what happens when the party leader muzzles his caucus. When they are finally allowed to speak, they stumble over their own words.

It seems to me that to say that if women had meaningful jobs that allowed them to stay on reserves and lead a happy live if that’s where they want to be is a positive thing.

The problem is, these jobs at this time do not exist. There has been great strides with the First Nations taking control of their lands, because of recent signed treaties and court rulings. Furthermore they have made great strides in establishing many profitable business’s through out the Province and Canada.

I seriously doubt that anything that Zimmer said was meant to be an insult to first nations women. This has all been taken out of context and is being exploited by the Grand Chief, and the Liberals and NDP.

Soooo. Who is really being disrespectful. I suggest it those who are using this serious issue to further their political agenda.

To the Harper Carpers out their, I say, its time to tone down your less that stellar rhetoric. You have been making the most stupid and assine statement over the past 3/4 weeks, that one wonders if you have ever done anything in your life other that bitch, bellyache, and complain.

Go to the advance polls and vote, and get rid of some of your petty feelings. Then go for a drink and relax.

It will be all over on Oct 11th 9PM Eastern Time.

The new tack from the pmo is obvious designed to soften . Leaving out the missing girls is a very calculated design but it doesn’t work . It’s much like the crash diet Lyntons got Stevie on . It might make him look slimmer but he’ll always be a lumbering , clumsy oaf .

I voted yesterday . I heard today’s line ups are worse than yesterday’s .

Palopu – I plan on voting on October19. You don’t think for a minute that you have not made stupid remarks etc.

I agree I have made some oldman. However that is completely different from making them 10, 15, 20 times per day, day in and day out ad infinitum.

Have a nice day.

Unlike Palopu, who is not on here all day every day telling people how they should think and feel.

A hypocrite and a harpercrite.

Wow, so now we are going to get upset with a politician suggesting jobs.
Ummm half of our society don’t do work. Yet all receive a cheque one way or the other. I wonder who will win the election? Harper or Trudeau?

Digitus Impudicus. I do a hell of a lot more on any given day that post on this site.

You are one of those who make the asinine posts. Your posting name ie: Digitus Impudicus. Which is latin for middle finger pointing up, and also mean f.. y.. pretty well sums you up.

Aw, Pullopud. Are you seeing red ? Maybe put your blue sunglasses back on. Ya old hypocrite.

Dickitlis Impotentus

Maybe you should put on your orange hat, and a mask of Thomas Mulcair and go out on Halloween and scare the hell out of the kids. Or perhaps you prefer to wear red, in which case I suggest you take a stroll in a field full of bulls.

We do not know who we are going to vote for, the Conservatives seem to be getting hit on the back of their heads no matter what they say of do its almost getting a bit much. Jobs are not that easy to get,at least ones that pay the rent. We need to focus on other things besides missing women , like the senate do we need it , who gets picked to be on it? I think this is one problem that needs to be looked into ,there are many other problems I would like to see the Candidates talk about.

I agree bitter. All the parties have a platform out there which outlines what they stand for and what they plan to do if elected or re elected.

The Conservatives and Harper have been savaged by the left leaning media, blogs, etc; for over a year and a half. Constant banter about nothing. So what have the Conservatives done since being elected in 2006.

1. Lowered GST and introduced income splitting
2 Reduced income tax, business taxes, and import taxes.
3. In 2015 taxes as a percent of the economy are at their lowest levels since before the second world war.
4. Negotiated a successful TPP agreement. The largest Free Trade Agreement in human history. The TPP encompasses 40% of the worlds population and eliminates tens of thousands of individual tariffs and import taxes.
5. Brought in tax free savings accounts.
6. Brought in the temporary home improvement tax allowance and will now make it permanent if elected.

There is more but you get my drift.

All I hear from the other parties is that they will get rid of some of the Conservative initiatives, raise taxes, spend money, and generally have a good time.

What else did the Harper Conservatives bring us Palopu…

1. Reduced taxes paid for with $175 Billion additional debt…

2. A FIPA agreement with China that includes Investor Protection that gives a foreign Country sovereignty over the operation of Canada in that ANY Government in Canada, Municipal, Provincial, federal that changes a Law, Regulation, Policy that may effect this foreign Country or Corporations bottom line the ability to sue for loss of profit for the next 30 plus years…

3. Brought corruption out from the shadows of Government and made it mainstream …. 3 election fraud convictions in a row…now operations normal for the Conservative supporter…

There is more but you get my drift…

Taxed out. Most of what you say is houey.

Have a nice day.

Off topic but for all you paranoid types out there here is a picture from a camera the police use for surveillance. This was taken before the hockey riot, recognise anyone. Every wonder how the Boston bombers got identified so fast. Zoom in.

http://www.gigapixel.com/image/gigapan-canucks-g7.html

Oh Palopu, Palopu, Palopu. Not sure why you called me out a few days back, however, it has brought us to this point. Allow me to extend an olive branch. Because you like to be the conscience and voice of so many people, I want to do you a favour.

If anyone would like to talk politics, the weather or even Depends underwear……call Palopu at his home. 250 564-4531

Ask for either Eric or Palopu.

Have a nice day.

Digitus. Who gives a shit.

Calgary Sun–Enough is Enough
National Enquiry into missing and murdered aboriginal women is NOT what needs to be done and Harper is right in not pursuing this time wasting,expensive suggestion supported by both NDP and Liberals. If you were paying attention at all and did your research you would understand this tragedy, the real issues and what needs to be done to address them.