Harper Conservatives’ Respect for Communities Act is completely flawed
(OTTAWA) - Elizabeth May, Leader of the Green Party of Canada and Member of Parliament for Saanich-Gulf Islands, submitted a motion today that would effectively scrap Bill C-2, the ‘Respect for Communities Act’.
Bill C-2 would make it nearly impossible for future Safe Injection Sites to obtain the authorization to operate by adding regulatory roadblocks. Currently, Insite, located in Vancouver, is the only location in North America that allows supervised injections of heroin, cocaine, and morphine. Safe injections sites are endorsed by the United Nations as an effective harm reduction tool.
“I attempted to fix this bill to at least make it constitutional, but deleting this bill has become the only acceptable move after my amendments were voted down in committee,” said Ms. May. “At no other time in history has a sitting Prime Minister shown such a blatant disrespect for evidence-based decision making. The Insite facility has clearly demonstrated that providing a safe place for those who are struggling with addictions reduces crime and the transmission of infectious diseases.”
“As Stephen Harper’s heavy-handed attempts to impose law and order are struck down by the courts time and time again, he simply cannot resist trying to ram them through Parliament,” said Bruce Hyer, Deputy Leader of the Green Party of Canada and Member of Parliament for Thunder Bay – Superior North. “He continues to be guided by his own ideology rather than by empirical evidence.”
The Green Party of Canada supports comprehensive reforms to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act that would assist people suffering from addiction and mental health conditions to get the care that they require.
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For additional information or to arrange an interview, contact:
Julian Morelli
Director of Communications
Green Party of Canada
cell: (613) 614 4916
office: (613) 562 4916 (224)
julian.morelli@greenparty.ca