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OTTAWA
Conservative Justice Critic and Provencher MP Vic
Toews has criticized renewed efforts by the Liberal government
to decriminalize marijuana, saying that the move will
put Canadian jobs at risk and fuel organized crime. Justice
Minister Irwin Cotler tabled two bills in the House of
Commons yesterday to decriminalize marijuana and to amend
laws against impaired driving.
This
ill-advised legislation will put our trade relationship
with the U.S. valued at $1 billion a day
in jeopardy, costing Canadians jobs and creating problems
at border crossings. As well, demand for the drug will
increase while production is still in the hands of organized
crime, said Toews.
The
bill, previously introduced under the Chretien administration,
would replace criminal penalties with fines for small
amounts of marijuana. U.S. representatives as well as
Canadian law enforcement authorities have repeatedly voiced
concern about such a move by the Liberal government.
Furthermore,
Liberals talk about training police officers to get drug-impaired
drivers off the roads at the same time that patrol officers
are being taken off highways in western Canada, leaving
long stretches of highway unguarded. The truth is that
the RCMP is being stretched to its limit already. How
can this Minister guarantee the safety of our roads when
he continues to drain resources away from police?
asked Toews. In any case, the technology proposed
in this bill to detect drug-impaired drivers is far less
effective than the tests for alcohol-impaired drivers.
As a former Crown attorney, I know how difficult these
cases will be to prosecute.
The
Martin government is not only putting our economy at risk
and jeopardizing highway safety. Such an irresponsible
move will not come without destructive consequences,
concluded Toews.
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For
more information, please contact:
Vic Toews, Member of Parliament, Provencher Riding
1-866-333-1933 Steinbach
613-992-3128 Ottawa
www.victoews.com
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