Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre rises during Question Period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Monday, May 29, 2023. An attempt from Poilievre for the House of Commons to condemn the Liberal government's approach to drug addiction has failed.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang
OTTAWA – Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has failed to persuade the House of Commons to condemn the Liberal government’s approach to fighting drug addiction.
In a vote of 209 to 113 today, MPs defeated a motion presented by Poilievre.
It took aim at the federal government’s harm reduction policies, but focused mainly on its decision to fund the supply of pharmaceutical alternatives as a replacement for certain illicit drugs.
The government has pointed to experts who say that a poisoned drug supply is one of the main reasons so many Canadians are dying from unintentional overdoses, and that providing access to other drugs as a substitute saves lives.
Poilievre has criticized that approach as fuelling addiction instead of offering treatment and argues it has led to wider access to dangerous drugs by users.
Mental Health and Addictions Minister Carolyn Bennett has told MPs that his criticisms are not based on evidence, with her office adding in a statement today that Health Canada is not aware of substitute drugs “flooding the streets.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 29, 2023.
