The LPC has adopted a “we’ll look the other way, fund some small arm’s length organizations, throw a couple bucks at safe-consumption sites” policy: basically a half-Portugal where drug crime isn’t really prosecuted, but little to no funding is allocated for comprehensive treatment and support.
Go to any city or town in Canada: drug use isn’t criminalized, let alone prosecuted. Which would be okay, but no money is spent on housing, treatment and it stops short of safe supply because that would mean taking a political risk. The result is people are desperate, still using, have no stable housing, no path to recovery and the results of crime break down on both addicts and citizens because the police won’t enforce anything unless it’s really, really bad.
So we get a worst-of-both-worlds that lets politicians hug themselves for being progressive while not raising taxes or inconveniencing billionaires.
I’d love to the see the NDP get in. The problem is that the Liberals flank them every election, promise that this time, for realz, they’ll do progressive stuff, just vote for us this time.
The LPC has adopted a “we’ll look the other way, fund some small arm’s length organizations, throw a couple bucks at safe-consumption sites” policy: basically a half-Portugal where drug crime isn’t really prosecuted, but little to no funding is allocated for comprehensive treatment and support.
Go to any city or town in Canada: drug use isn’t criminalized, let alone prosecuted. Which would be okay, but no money is spent on housing, treatment and it stops short of safe supply because that would mean taking a political risk. The result is people are desperate, still using, have no stable housing, no path to recovery and the results of crime break down on both addicts and citizens because the police won’t enforce anything unless it’s really, really bad.
So we get a worst-of-both-worlds that lets politicians hug themselves for being progressive while not raising taxes or inconveniencing billionaires.
I’d love to the see the NDP get in. The problem is that the Liberals flank them every election, promise that this time, for realz, they’ll do progressive stuff, just vote for us this time.