Poilievre demands Trudeau reject Toronto's request for drug decriminalization
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is demanding that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau reject Toronto’s request for drug decriminalization, blaming a similar policy in British Columbia for causing chaos and further overdose deaths.
Toronto’s request is being made in the form of an exemption to federal drug laws, which would see possession of small amounts of certain illegal drugs decriminalized.
In a letter sent to the prime minister on May 1, Poilievre says a similar exemption in B.C. has “caused chaos in hospitals, playgrounds, parks and public transportation.”
“Worse still, your taxpayer-funded hard drug program has allowed these dangerous drugs to be diverted to vulnerable Canadians, including teenagers and children,” he wrote.
In the letter, the opposition demands that Trudeau reverse his support for “legalizing crack, cocaine, heroin, meth and other hard drugs” and that he “reject the City of Toronto’s request.”
“Yesterday, I was trying to get the Prime Minister to commit that he wouldn't import this wacko idea to Toronto—which is already reeling from his catch and release criminal justice system, car thefts, extortions, carjackings and deadly, violent crime—and he wouldn't do it,” Poilievre told CP24 on Wednesday.
“We need to put the money into treatment and recovery to bring our loved ones home drug free.”
Poilievre suggested this could include detox and rehabilitation programs, counselling, physical exercise and job training.
On Tuesday, Toronto Medical Officer of Health Dr. Eileen de Villa issued a statement clarifying the city’s stance, saying their request is not meant to legalize drugs and would act in tandem with further treatment investments.
“There has been criticism of Toronto’s decriminalization efforts, suggesting we focus on treatment rather than decriminalization,” she wrote. “Decriminalization is fundamentally recognizing that addiction is a health issue – and therefore requires health-based interventions. Decriminalization is not legalization.”
She goes on to say the proposal is based on evidence and has the support of “a wide range of stakeholders,” including Toronto police, individuals with lived experience who use drugs and the organizations that serve them.
Toronto’s request was first made in 2022 and was modified in 2023 to cover young people as well as adults. There is no possession cap as part of the city’s submission, unlike British Columbia, whose exemption was limited to possession of 2.5 grams.
The federal government granted British Columbia an exemption as part of a three-year pilot project in early 2023; however Premier David Eby recently expressed concern about decriminalizing drugs in public spaces such as hospitals and restaurants. He has asked the prime minister to recriminalize the use of those drugs in public spaces as a result.
Poilivre isn’t the only politician questioning decriminalization in light of British Columbia’s pilot program. On Monday, Premier Doug Ford also urged Toronto to drop the application, saying that decriminalization has “turned into a nightmare.”
“I will fight this tooth and nail,” he told reporters at an unrelated news conference in Ottawa. “This is the wrong way to go.”
Toronto officials say they have been closely monitoring the exemption in British Columbia and said that public drug use would remain illegal in the city if the federal government approves its submission.
“We know, we cannot arrest our way out of this crisis,” de Villa wrote in her letter.
“On open public drug use, let me be clear: lighting up a crack pipe on a playground, or injecting drugs on the subway is not acceptable and should not be allowed. Selling or trafficking drugs is illegal. But arresting individuals who are carrying drugs for their own personal use isn’t effective.”
Ontario’s chief medical officer of health has also come out in favour of decriminalization, noting that more than 2,500 people have died in Ontario each year in the past few years due to a toxic drug supply.
Research, Dr. Kieran Moore suggests, has found that a safer drug supply is part of the solution.
"Decriminalization ... allows the justice and enforcement systems to focus their resources on stopping the organizations and individuals profiting from unregulated drug sales rather than on people who use substances whose needs would be better met in the health system," he wrote in his annual report presented in March 2024.
The province has said it will not be adopting any of Moore’s recommendations.
With files from The Canadian Press
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Blaine Higgs 'furious' over sexual education presentation
New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs has shared his anger on social media over a presentation in at least four high schools.
This type of screen time has the worst effect on kids: experts
According to some experts, there is one type of screen time that is continuously excessive, and it's having a severe effect on our children.
Grayson Murray's parents say the two-time PGA Tour winner died of suicide
Grayson Murray's parents said Sunday their 30-year-old son took his own life, just one day after he withdrew from a PGA Tour event.
Some birds may use 'mental time travel,' study finds
Real quick — what did you have for lunch yesterday? Were you with anyone? Where were you? Can you picture the scene? The ability to remember things that happened to you in the past, especially to go back and recall little incidental details, is a hallmark of what psychologists call episodic memory — and new research indicates that it’s an ability humans may share with birds called Eurasian jays.
Trump confronts repeated boos during raucous Libertarian convention speech
Donald Trump was booed repeatedly while addressing Saturday night’s Libertarian Party National Convention.
Driver, 18, gets $3,000 ticket, 32 demerit points after speeding on Laval boulevard
A young driver received a hefty fine from Laval police after they say he was driving nearly 100 km/h over the posted speed limit.
Indianapolis 500 delayed as strong storm forces fans to evacuate Indianapolis Motor Speedway
The start of the Indianapolis 500 was delayed as a strong storm pushed through the area Sunday, forcing Indianapolis Motor Speedway officials to evacuate about 125,000 fans who had already arrived for "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing."
Hamas rocket attack from Gaza sets off air raid sirens in Tel Aviv for the first time in months
Hamas fired a barrage of rockets from Gaza that set off air raid sirens as far away as Tel Aviv for the first time in months on Sunday in a show of resilience more than seven months into Israel's massive air, sea and ground offensive.
At least 13 dead in Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas after severe weather roars across region
Powerful storms killed at least 13 people and left a wide trail of destruction Sunday across Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas after obliterating homes and destroying a truck stop where dozens sought shelter in a restroom during the latest deadly weather to strike the central U.S.