Provincial cabinet ministers and Canada's aboriginal leaders meet today in Winnipeg to discuss missing and murdered aboriginal women.

But there is no sign the two sides are any closer to an agreement on calls for a national inquiry.

The Assembly of First Nations and other groups say an inquiry is needed to examine how police have handled missing persons cases, as well as the social and economic factors that make aboriginal women more prone to violence.

But the federal government has rejected the demand, and the provinces appear lukewarm.

Eric Robinson, Manitoba's minister of aboriginal affairs, says an inquiry would be expensive and there may be better options.

Robinson says he invited three federal cabinet ministers to this week's meeting, but they are sending department officials instead.

Most of the two-day meeting will be held behind closed doors.

The ministers will announce their findings when the meeting wraps up tomorrow.