Crystal Meth, Our Children, Liberal & Court Laxity -&- MP Vic Toews on Crystal Meth

Hansard Oct. 3, 05 Crystal Meth (1450) -- (1455)

Justice Mr. Rick Casson (Lethbridge, CPC): Mr. Speaker, we have obtained a copy of the justice minister's position paper regarding private member's Bill C-313, an act to raise the age of sexual consent from 14 to 16. In this document, as hard as it is to believe, the minister argues against raising the age of consent because of potential costs associated with increased prosecution of such cases.

Why does the government have millions of dollars for golden handshakes for patronage hacks, but does not have enough funds to protect our kids from predators? [. . . . ]

Mr. Gurmant Grewal (Newton—North Delta, CPC): Mr. Speaker, a recent survey found that 10% of high school kids in Surrey use crystal meth, North America's most dangerous drug. This highly addictive drug is cheap and easy to get. As a result of the Liberals' inaction, the crystal meth crisis is getting out of hand.

When will the government introduce mandatory prison sentences for drug pushers and a national drug strategy to help people, especially children, before their lives are devastated by crystal meth?

Vic Toews: A Generation in Danger

The negative effects of methamphetamine, commonly known as “crystal meth” are becoming increasingly evident as this illegal drug sweeps across Western Canada. This drug arrived about five years ago on the West Coast, landing first in the clubs of Vancouver and Victoria, and has quickly spread throughout both urban and rural regions across the country.

. . . easy to buy. . . easy to make. . . . .

The damage that the drug does is serious. Not only is crystal meth highly addictive, but causes irreparable damage and often death to users. Crystal meth is also often intermixed with other popular drug agents such as ecstasy, heroin or even marijuana in order to hook users and create a dependency on the suppliers. This drug also has significant adverse effects on non-users in our communities, with police advising us that crystal meth use is directly associated with an increase in property crimes, identity theft, mail theft, and assault.

This is a drug that is especially popular in small rural communities in Western Canada that are also facing severe shortages of RCMP officers. As well, because it is easy to produce, the drug is also becoming popular with local organized crime groups. It has devastated entire communities in the United States and now is threatening to do the same in Canada.

In an attempt to curb criticism for not addressing the exploding crystal meth problem, the federal government announced last month [August] it would be raising the maximum penalties for trafficking and manufacturing in methamphetamines to life in prison from 10 years, and for possession to seven years from three. Justice Minister Irwin Cotler said in reference to increasing maximum penalties, ''We are making a clear statement today about the gravity of the offence and the responsibility of the offender.'' However, neither [Justice Minister Irwin Cotler] nor Health Minister Ujjal Dosanjh, who flanked him during the announcement, could think of a case where anyone in Canada had been sentenced to 10 years in jail for a crystal meth offence.

It is evident that the courts are not imposing the current maximum penalties, and we have seen consistently in the past that when maximum sentences are raised, there is no corresponding increase in penalties.

Raising maximums is not enough. Accordingly, the Conservative Party is calling on the federal government to introduce mandatory minimum prison sentences for these criminals who are profiting by destroying the lives of Canadians. And until the Liberal government institutes a serious, cohesive National Drug Strategy, the wide-ranging implications crystal meth has on health, society, and crime will remain a problem. Canadian communities need more than simply window dressing to save their youth and to keep their streets safe.

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