PM TOUTS ANTI-DRUG PLAN

But Won't Comment On Recent Violence

Prime Minister Stephen Harper, usually quick to trumpet his party's
tough-on-crime platform, instead touted a new government television
commercial during a pitstop in Winnipeg Wednesday, and made no
mention of Manitoba's string of summertime violence.

In brief remarks to the media prior to a closed-door meeting, Harper
trumpeted his government's anti-drug strategy and a new public
service announcement aimed at parents. He said drug use among young
people is a concern for him as prime minister and as a parent.

"It's a very big problem everywhere in this country," he said. "We've
got to sensitize people and we've got to get parents educated."

Harper arrived in town Tuesday evening to attend Folklorama and for a
round-table discussion Wednesday morning with about 10 community
leaders, parents and teachers at the Winakwa community club in Windsor Park.

That's in the heart of the St. Boniface riding that the Tories are
targeting in the next election. They hope Winnipeg Police Patrol Sgt.
and former police spokesperson Shelly Glover will unseat Liberal MP
Raymond Simard in the riding that has traditionally been solidly
Liberal for 20 years. Glover was seated prominently at Harper's side
during the round-table discussion.

Reporters were not allowed to ask Harper questions and he made no
mention of the violence that has beset Manitoba in recent weeks,
including the beheading death of Tim McLean on a Greyhound bus near
Portage la Prairie last week, the police shooting of Craig McDougall
last Saturday that has raised the ire of Aboriginal leaders, the
Taser death of Michael Langan late last month and other recent murders.

Those incidents didn't come up during the closed-door meeting, either.

Harper's Tories have routinely cast themselves as the only party
truly tough on crime. Just recently, the federal Conservatives touted
their record cracking down on youth crime in another round of party
flyers that appeared in mailboxes in several Winnipeg ridings,
including Winnipeg Centre.

The flyers are part of a strategy that sees sitting Tory MPs, often
from a faraway constituency, use their free mailing privileges to
blanket target ridings with leaflets.

Paula Leach, president of the parents' association at Windsor
Collegiate, said the round-table meeting was a good one and allowed
parents and community leaders to describe some of the problems and
offer some solutions.

They discussed the need for more treatment facilities for drug
addicts and the need for more training for teachers so they can
recognize the signs of drug abuse and educate students.

"I'm hopeful that some of what he learned first-hand he will take
back to Ottawa and some good will come out of it," said Leach. "I
felt he was genuinely interested."