The NDP critic for the solicitor general and public safety says the B.C. government should order a public inquiry into the investigation of the missing women.

Mike Farnworth, the MLA for Port Coquitlam, told the Straight by phone that a formal probe of this nature would enhance the criminal-justice system and make it more functional in the future.

"There have been so many missing women in this province, particularly out of the Downtown Eastside and Vancouver," Farnworth said. "Clearly, we know that there were mistakes made, especially at the beginning of this investigation. I think it's important not only to the families but to the public as well to know what happened."

Farnworth added that he was relieved by the Supreme Court of Canada's ruling today (July 30), which upheld Pickton's conviction on six counts of second-degree murder. The Crown has not proceeded on 20 other charges of first-degree murder.

"I think people in Port Coquitlam are feeling the same as people right across the country, who followed this," he said. "He is going to be behind bars and he will never get out. I think people are relieved by that."

NDP attorney general critic Leonard Krog told the Straight that a public inquiry is "entirely appropriate" because there are so many lessons to be learned about how the Pickton investigation was handled.

"The families deserve to know what happened," Krog said. "British Columbians deserve to know what happened. It is a way of honouring the many victims of Mr. Pickton and a way of hopefully educating the police in the future about recognizing the horror, the very horror, that the Pickton case represents before someone like him gets an opportunity to commit this many multiple murders."

Krog described the story of the missing women as "a long, grim, sad story".

"It will be painful for many to relive this through a public inquiry," he added. "But the benefits outweigh everything else, and it should be undertaken."

Premier Gordon Campbell was mayor of Vancouver from 1986 to 1993. In that capacity, he chaired the Vancouver police board when some women went missing from the Downtown Eastside.

Farnworth said that he had no concerns about Campbell participating in any decision on whether or not to order a public inquiry.

"This is a cabinet decision," Farnworth said. "The attorney general's advice is what would be important on this. So I think that what's important is that an inquiry is called."

Farnworth declined to offer a ballpark estimate on the cost of a public inquiry. "I understand the concerns that people have," he said. "I think there are ways you could probably mitigate the costs."

He suggested that expenses could be limited in an inquiry by focusing on ways of improving the system, rather than by assigning blame.

Follow Charlie Smith on Twitter at twitter.com/csmithstraight.