KIM WALKER STORY HITS PARLIAMENT

- -- MP Has Questions About Murder Trial

There's no question a Yorkton man's plight to save his daughter has
caught the attention of the nation.

Last week, the case of Kim Walker and his daughter Jadah -- who says
her father saved her from a life of drug addiction and certain death
- -- was brought to the attention of Parliament by Yorkton-Melville MP
Garry Breitkreuz.

In a period of time set aside in the House of Commons called
"Statements by Members" Breitkreuz commented on what he called a
"tragic case played out in a Yorkton courtroom."

"On March 17, 2003, Kim Walker, fearing for the life of his
morphineaddicted 16-year-old daughter, Jadah, confronted her
24-year-old drug-dealing boyfriend, James Hayward," Breitkeuz stated
to MPs from across the country.

"The confrontation, more than two years in the making, spun out of
control, the father shot and killed the drug dealer and, on January
19, 2007, he was convicted of second degree murder and sentenced to
life in prison."

Breitkreuz pointed out in his statement, Jadah Walker was just 13
when she was "lured into the world of drugs.

"She says that she would have been dead in just a few more weeks had
she kept living with her boyfriend, her pusher," commented
Breitkreuz, adding Jadah also feels the deadly confrontation could
have been avoided.

The MP explained, the daughter says the system failed her parents;
that if the police had arrested Hayward earlier or had been able to
respond better to the concerns her parents raised, her dad would not
be behind bars today.

"There are many lessons to be learned from the Jadah and Kim Walker
case by the members of this House who make the laws, the provinces
that administer them and the police who enforce them."

In an interview with The News Review, Breitkreuz said a close look at
several laws, and the enforcement of them, needs to be taken --
particularly when it comes to drug dealers.

"It's the reason I raised this in Parliament," he says. "Is there
anything we need to do in Ottawa to improve things so the kind of
situation that developed, and ended tragically, can be prevented?"

Breitkreuz says, although he was in Ottawa at the time he followed
the trial closely and paid attention to the testimony of witnesses in
the trial.

"I think we need to look at what's going on here. Questions like, did
the police properly enforce Canada's drug laws or do our laws and the
police powers need to be strengthened?"

The MP says, if drugs are negatively affecting the lives of young
people in Yorkton, and if the city indeed has a drug problem, he
feels it is important to ask how it can be prevented in the future?

With drug laws regarding possession of marijuana weakened by the
previous Liberal government to the point it has almost become
acceptable in today's society, Breitkreuz says it is not the same
drug it used to be.

"It is almost ten times more powerful and it is luring people into
drugs, and drugs that are much more serious than marijuana would be,"
he assures.

Aside from the illicit drug concern, Breitkreuz wonders if a current
law stipulating the Age of Consent should be revisited.

"We have already done that here in Ottawa and we are meeting strong
resistance from the Liberals and the NDP in raising the Age of
Consent from 14 to 16. Personally, I would even consider raising it
higher for some things."

From what he read of the case, Breitkreuz believes Jadah was
"enticed into drugs and a relationship" at a very young age.

Other things about the case disturb the long-time Yorkton MP like why
Jadah was not treated for her morphine addiction before being
released by the medical system.

"After just 72 hours she was released just to return to her drug
pushing boyfriend. I look at that fact alone and I have to ask is our
drug strategy effective?

"I think we have to tighten, not loosen, our drug laws and it is for
the benefit of our young people we do that."

With the eye of the nation on a medium sized prairie city now known
for having a drug problem, "How much more serious do things have to
get? This made the national news. Maybe it's time we got serious
about addressing these problems?" he says.

While some may turn the issue around on Breitkreuz and ask where the
RCMP officers promised in the last election are, the MP feels that
isn't the root of the problem.

"I think maybe having the power to go into situations and do more
(may have). I don't know who to believe on this, but Jadah Walker
indicates on a web site that is up that the RCMP looked the other
way. I don't know if that is true but it merits an investigation."

Breitkreuz says this possibility should be raised with the provincial
attorney general. A copy of the statement was also passed to the
federal Minister of Justice for his consideration.