EAST SIDE MP POKES CONSERVATIVES ABOUT SAFE INJECTION

Libby Davies Reacts To B.C. Supreme Court 'Insite' Ruling

Prime Minister Stephen Harper's government believes offering
supervised drug injection sites for addicts won't stop addicts from
using drugs.

That was the response from Tory MP Peter Van Loan, the leader of the
government in the House of Commons, to questions from Vancouver-East
NDP MP Libby Davies last week in Parliament.

"Injection not only causes physical harm, it also deepens and
prolongs an addiction," Van Loan said. "We believe that programs to
help people get off their addictions should be supported and we
believe that to spend money on supporting injection is actually to
take money that could otherwise be used to help people get off their
addictions and assist them in that kind of program."

Van Loan's comments were transcribed in Hansard, the official
recording of Parliament that chronicles debate between MPs in the
House of Commons. The exchanges between Davies and Van Loan, as well
as another between Davies and Tony Clement, the health minister, were
sent to the Courier from Davies' office in Ottawa.

Davies' questioning of the Conservatives comes after B.C. Supreme
Court Justice Ian Pitfield granted the operators of the Insite
injection site on East Hastings a "constitutional exemption" allowing
the facility to operate without federal government approval.

Clement has since said the government is appealing the decision.
Insite's operating agreement with the federal government was to
expire June 30. Clement said he was disappointed with the judgment.

"We disagree with the judgment. We are, of course, examining our
options and I would say to the House that we on this side of the
House care about treating drug addicts who need our help," said
Clement, when Davies asked him if the government would abide by the
court's decision. "We care about preventing people, especially our
young people, from becoming drug addicts in the first place. That is
our way to reduce harm in our society and we are proud of taking that
message to the people of Canada."

Davies pointed to the numerous studies on Insite that concluded it
was "a life-saving facility" and that harm reduction is an essential
part of Canada's drug strategy. She urged Clement to put aside his
"personal ideological position" and respect the court's decision and
to change the country's drug laws.

Clement's response: "Mr. Speaker, it is a bit rich for the member
from the New Democratic Party to start lecturing us on ideological
positions. That is its bread and butter over there, but we on this
side of the House are here for public policy. We are here to help our
kids, prevent them from getting on drugs in the first place. We are
here to help addicts."

Insite is the only legal injection site in North America. It opened
in September 2003 as a three-year scientific research project. The
PHS Community Services Society operates the facility in conjunction
with Vancouver Coastal Health.

Senior staff at both agencies claim no one has died from an overdose
at the site.