2 weeks Ago By Ari Yanover
NEW WESTMINSTER, B.C. — Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre announced Sunday that he will fund centre-based addictions care for 50,000 Canadians if he becomes prime minister.
Poilievre said at a Sunday morning press conference near Vancouver that it wasn’t a coincidence that this figure matched the rough number of Canadians who’ve succumbed to opioids since a national crisis was declared in 2016. “Now that we’ve lost 50,000 to overdoses, the least we can do is in their honour save 50,000 more,” said Poilievre, flanked by an entourage of supporters, including some who were in recovery themselves. Poilievre said in an earlier video that a Conservative government will budget an average of $250 million per year for four years to fund residential recovery centres that provide medium- to long-term care to those struggling with addictions.
Part of this sum will be rerouted from $144 million in federal dollars currently earmarked for programs like safer supply, he said. Poilievre also said he expected some of this funding to be recouped from government lawsuits against the opioid manufacturers that “caused the (opioid) crisis in the first place.” He added that he’ll downsize the federal bureaucracy managing addictions and ban “pro-drug organizations” from receiving federal funds.
“No middlemen, no bureaucracy, just real help for those who need it,” said Poilievre. Former three-time White House Office of National Drug Control Policy adviser Kevin Sabet said he welcomed Poilievre’s announcement and hopes the other party leaders will follow in his footsteps. “Canada desperately needs more treatment beds, and it also needs more levers to get people into those beds.
This is an excellent first step that should be non-political, non-partisan, and non-controversial,” said Sabet. The Liberal campaign didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. Poilievre also said Sunday that a Conservative government would ban supervised consumption sites from being set up within 500 metres from schools, playgrounds, daycares, parks and seniors’ homes.
He added that, as prime minister, he’d change the Controlled Drugs and Substances act to prohibit provinces from unilaterally approving overdose prevention sites. Poilievre has been a harsh critic of the Liberal government’s drug policies, calling its experiments with decriminalization and safer supply, which gives prescribed opioids to addicts, “ a complete disaster .”.
