4 October 2007
WINNIPEG, MANITOBAPLEASE CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY
Ladies and gentlemen
Good afternoon.
And thank you to the Salvation Army for hosting us today at this facility where you do such good work.
And thank you to the Drug Prevention Network, the Canadian Center for Substance Abuse and all organizations and individuals who have participated in today’s event and discussions.
The work you do embodies the spirit of the Samaritan in our modern age.
I’m pleased to see such a broad cross-section of the community here for today’s important announcement because all of us – parents, young people, community groups, police – have a big stake in the issue of illicit drugs.
And all of us are part of the solution.
For too long in Canada, governments have been sending mixed messages on drugs.
They have tacked back and forth between prohibition and liberalization so many times that Canadians hardly know what the law says anymore.
It’s time to be straight with Canadians, so Canadians who use drugs can get straight.
Because narcotics destroy lives.
They rob young people of their futures.
They tear families apart, make our streets less safe, and lay waste to our communities.
As a father myself, I’m deeply troubled by the statistics on drug abuse in Canada.
Drug use among teens and young people is rising.
More and more young people are being charged in drug related crimes.
And the consequences of rising drug abuse are felt throughout our society.
For example, our health care system spends more than 1.2 billion dollars a year on substance abuse treatment.
And illegal drugs are directly implicated in the deaths of thousands of Canadians.
Rising drug use also fuels rising crime.
The RCMP has reported a dramatic rise in drug-related property crime, identity theft, corruption and murder over the last five years.
The fact is illegal drug production and distribution is a highly lucrative business.
A business ruthlessly exploited by large, powerful criminal organizations.
That fuels their greed by exploiting the addictions of others.
They infiltrate our neighbourhoods, turning suburban homes into grow-ops and crystal meth labs.
And they use their drug profits – estimated in the tens of billions of dollars per year in Canada – to finance a wide range of other criminal enterprises.
Obviously we want to put organized crime out of business.
And tough new anti-drug laws have to be part of the solution.
But interdiction, by itself, is not enough.
Our Government recognizes that we also have to find new ways to prevent people from becoming enslaved by drugs.
And we need new ways to free them from drugs when they get hooked.
That’s what the new National Anti-Drug Strategy I’m unveiling today is all about.
Our message is clear: drugs are dangerous and destructive.
If drugs do get hold of you – there’s help to get you off them.
And if you sell or produce drugs – you’ll pay with jail time.
Our two-track approach will be tough on the dealers and producers of drugs but compassionate for their victims.
In fact, we are committing fully two-thirds of the new funding for our strategy to prevention and treatment.
New initiatives under this two-track approach will include:
A new national awareness campaign targeted at youth and their parents with a strong message discouraging drug use.
New funding for the modernization of current treatment services.
Developing new treatment options and improving their availability and effectiveness.
New funding for the provinces and territories to expand treatment programs for addicted youth.
And new funding for a National Youth Intervention Program, so police can get young drug users more quickly into assessment and treatment programs instead of detention.
But along with prevention and treatment for drug users, we also need to get tough with drug producers and distributors.
That’s why the National Anti-Drug Strategy also includes new funding for the investigation and prosecution of drug crime.
Including more resources for identifying and closing down grow-ops and drug manufacturing sites.
We will also increase funding to the Canada Border Services Agency for enforcement measures aimed at keeping imported drugs out of our country.
And, we’re ramping up the RCMP’s “Proceeds of Crime” Program, which enables the seizure of funds and assets acquired through criminal activities like selling illegal drugs.
Last but not least, our government will introduce tough new legislation regarding punishment for drug producers and sellers.
Currently there are no minimum prison sentences for producing and trafficking dangerous drugs like methamphetamine and cocaine.
But these are serious crimes. Those who commit them should do serious time.
So we’ll introduce new legislation this fall proposing mandatory prison sentences for people convicted of serious drug offences.
Stockwell Day and Tony Clement will tell you more in a moment about what our new Strategy means for Canadians, but let me just say that I’m very proud of the work our Cabinet has done on this issue.
They have shown tremendous compassion for the victims of drugs, and tremendous determination to catch and punish those who would exploit victims of drug abuse.
Thanks to their efforts, and thanks to the contributions and support of thousands of concerned Canadians like the people gathered here today, Canada will now have a focused and effective National Anti-Drug Strategy.
This approach will be tough on crime and compassionate for victims. We’re simply not going to throw in the towel when the health and safety of our communities is at risk.
We have a two-track approach. If you’re addicted to drugs, we’ll help you. But if you deal drugs, we’ll punish you.
Solving Canada’s drug problems will require a huge effort.
We won’t get clean overnight.
But we will put our country on the road to recovery.
Thank you.
