The Federal government has set the terms of reference and named a five member panel to conduct its Inquiry into Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women.

It's also confirmed it'll cost  $13.8-million more than first thought, pushing the price tag to $53.8 million.

Foothills MP John Barlow says he figured that would happen.

"We knew that this would be an expensive venture, unfortunately that just seems to be anything that the Liberal government is doing is costing more than they tell people," Barlow says. "The study itself, I think it's important and the feedback I've had from first nations communities in the riding, this is something they've wanted to see."

He says the previous Harper government felt action was more important than more studies.

"There have been more than forty studies on this issue in the past, we spent $25 million on an Action Plan, and that was the feedback that we were having from First Nations over the last couple of years in they didn't want another study, they wanted action, they wanted programs in place," he says. "So we did matrimonial property rights for aboriginal women was a big step forward, we looked at programs on reserve to help with educating men and boys on violence about women, those are programs that would have tangible results."

Barlow says he'll be surprised if something new comes out of this inquiry.