Conservative MP Bob Zimmer stuck with the party's position, but stayed away from the controversial comments he made earlier this week when the issue of whether there should be an inquiry into missing and murdered aboriginal woman was raised during an all candidates meeting at the University of Northern British Columbia on Thursday.
On Tuesday during a similar event in Fort St. John for candidates running in Prince George-Peace River-Northern Rockies, Zimmer said "a lack of a job" is one of the reasons behind the disappearance and killings of 1,181 women between 1980 and 2012 in Canada.
By Thursday, Zimmer appeared aware of the fallout he created.
"My point was that I was making a statement based on an RCMP study that had already been done in regards to aboriginal women and one of the risk factors in there was what I spoke about," Zimmer said.
Zimmer went on to repeat the party line that the issue has been thoroughly studied and "it's time for action."
In Fort St. John, Zimmer had asked NDP candidate Kathi Dickie if she had read the RCMP study that found most of the perpetrators were men the victims knew and that the solve rate for such cases was the same as that for the total population.
Dickie, a Fort Nelson First Nation councillor and former chief replied that she didn't, retorting that she didn't need to read it "because obviously it has not worked - there are still women missing and being murdered."
On Thursday, Dickie said she has since read the RCMP report and noted a lack of aboriginal input.
"I believe that you see it as a tragedy and I believe that you do care and you want it solved," Dickie told Zimmer. "But... why am I seen as a inferior disposable object and have been for years?"
Dickie's comment drew applause from many who packed the Canfor auditorium.
Liberal candidate Matt Shaw, whose party supports an inquiry, said "symbolism is very important in leadership and the fact is this is a national emergency and the perception is out there that if this were any other demographic, white women around the Greater Toronto Area, [there would have been a inquiry]."
Green candidate Elizabeth Biggar said there needs to be more acknowledgment of the cultural genocide aboriginal people have gone through.
She also said a woman in Canada typically earns 71 cents for every dollar a man does and the figure for an aboriginal woman falls to 46 cents.
Barry Blackman of the Progressive Canadian party suggested an army of private investigators be hired to augment the RCMP's work on the cases not yet solved.
Health care emerged as a hot button issue drawing responses from the crowd as Zimmer and Dickie in particular got into a back and forth.
Zimmer said federal transfers to the provinces for health care has increased from $26 billion to $40 billion next year under the Conservatives and will continue to rise by six per cent per year ongoing.
"So where are the doctors?" Dickie replied.
Zimmer said the province's job to administer health care.
"The money is there," he said, drawing a mixed response from onlookers.
Asked about ways to diversify northern B.C.'s economy, Zimmer said it is trade agreements will help soften the edges of the business cycle while Dickie emphasized education.
Shaw said the government's role is to put the incentives in place to make the area attractive to investors.
Blackman said governments need to budget on a seven-year basis, running deficits during tough times and surpluses during the good ones to balance the budget out over that time.
Biggar stressed wind and geothermal power and dismissed liquified natural gas and oil as putting all the eggs into one basket.
