Poilievre Introduces Bill to Prevent Federal Decriminalization of Hard Drugs in Healthcare Settings
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has introduced new legislation aiming to prohibit the federal government from decriminalizing hard drugs in hospitals and to impose stricter criminal penalties for individuals bringing weapons into hospitals.
During a press conference on May 14 in Vancouver, Mr. Poilievre unveiled the Safe Hospitals Act, which would eliminate the federal health minister’s discretion under the Controlled and Substances Act to decriminalize illicit drugs such as fentanyl, meth, crack, and heroin in hospital settings.
The act would also establish an aggravating factor for sentencing for anyone caught bringing illegal or unauthorized weapons into a hospital.
Mr. Poilievre referenced reports from the B.C. Nurses Union revealing that patients and staff have been exposed to harmful, illegal drugs in health-care environments. He also mentioned a leaked memo from a public health agency instructing hospital staff in a region of northern British Columbia not to confiscate hard drugs and weapons from patients.
“This extreme ideological approach is causing harm to our population,” he stated. “Meanwhile, community spaces like soccer fields, hospitals, and city squares are being negatively impacted by criminal activities.”
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Following his statements, reporters asked Mr. Poilievre about how his new legislation differed from the federal government’s recent decision to permit British Columbia to re-criminalize drug use in public areas like hospitals.
In response, Mr. Poilievre highlighted that it would prevent the Liberal government from decriminalizing hard drugs within hospital premises in the future, noting that both Toronto and Montreal had shown interest in drug decriminalization within their cities.
