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More than half of participants at Pickton inquiry now giving it a pass

The lawyer for the families of Robert Pickton’s victims says he’s concerned an inquiry examining the case will be hamstrung as a growing number of advocacy groups refuse to participate.

VANCOUVER — The lawyer for the families of Robert Pickton’s victims says he’s concerned an inquiry examining the case will be hamstrung as a growing number of advocacy groups refuse to participate.

Cameron Ward says he still believes there is important work to do to answer the questions of why it took police so long to acknowledge a serial killer was stalking Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.

But the inquiry would have had access to a clearer picture if the government had agreed to fund lawyers for a range of groups representing sex workers and aboriginals.

“I’m concerned that the inquiry won’t fully address all of the various issues that the public may be interested in and concerned about,” Ward said in an interview Tuesday, adding that he can’t be expected to fill the void.

“It does create an added burden for me and my small legal team. However, our only job is to ensure that we adequately represent the interests of our clients.”

On Tuesday, women’s organizations LEAF, or West Coast Legal Education and Action Fund and the Ending Violence Association of B.C., also known as EVA, became the latest to formally withdraw from the inquiry, which is scheduled to begin hearings in Vancouver in October.

They were granted status together as a single participant and their decision means more than half the organizations that were granted status at the inquiry have bowed out due to a lack of government funding.

It has left commissioner Wally Oppal with a shrinking number of voices as he looks for ways to prevent the horrific case from repeating itself.

Oppal had recommended more than a dozen groups and coalitions like LEAF and EVA receive legal funding from the provincial government.

But the province has repeatedly refused, prompting a steady stream of announcements in the past several weeks from groups who say they can’t afford to attend.

Those announcements have had a cascading effect, with other organizations withdrawing in solidarity.

“Our coalition cannot participate in an inquiry into the deaths of so many marginalized women when the inquiry lacks the essential participation of aboriginal groups, sex-worker groups, and front line women’s organizations,” West Coast LEAF and the Ending Violence Association of B.C. wrote in a letter to Oppal.

“The failure to provide adequate resources at this early stage does not bode well for the government’s commitment to implementing the recommendations of the commission in your final report.”

Oppal has twice asked the province to fund a list of 13 participants, calling the government’s decision the “height of unfairness.”

However, Attorney General Barry Penner has said his ministry will only fund a lawyer for the families of Pickton’s victims, insisting money is tight and resources are limited.

The groups that have dropped out include: a collection of sex-work organizations such as the WISH drop-in centre; the Native Women’s Association of Canada; the Frank Paul Society; the Carrier Sekani Tribal Council; the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs; the Women’s Equality and Security Coalition; and the Native Courtworker and Counselling Association of B.C.

Several others including the Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre and the B.C. Civil Liberties Association have raised doubts about whether they’ll participate, but have yet to make a final decision.

Oppal and his commission lawyers announced plans last week to appoint two lawyers to represent the interests of sex workers and aboriginals, but they won’t work for specific groups.

Some of the groups that were denied funding have rejected the idea of commission-appointed lawyers, arguing they won’t be able to adequately represent such a diverse range of groups.

Ward said he also won’t be able to represent their views, saying his commitment has to be to his clients, the victims’ families.

“They (the families) may have different perspectives than some of these interest groups do, and I don’t think it’s fair to assume that we will step into the breach and present the various perspective of those groups.”