MP WANTS DRUG TREATED SERIOUSLY

Following on the heels of a provincial court case debating the
severity of crystal meth, a Saskatchewan MP is questioning whether
Ottawa is taking the street drug seriously.

"It's a rapidly growing threat, which now Parliament has to catch up
and respond to. The sooner, the better," said Palliser MP Dave Batters.

Under the Controlled Drug and Substances Act, methamphetamines are a
Schedule 3 drug, which only carry a maximum sentence of 10 years.
Schedule 1 and 2 drugs, such as cocaine and marijuana, carry a maximum
sentence of life in prison for possession and trafficking charges.

Last week, Judge Linton Smith handed down a three-year jail sentence
to Terry Joseph Nameth, who pleaded guilty to numerous charges
including trafficking crystal meth.

Sentencing had been delayed while both lawyers brought forward
evidence regarding the seriousness of crystal meth compared with other
drugs, such as cocaine.

Smith said he would have considered a longer sentence but believed it
was inappropriate for the court to hand out a harsher sentence than
the Crown had sought.

Batters said it is now Parliament's responsibility to amend the Act
and make crystal meth a Schedule 1 drug.

"The Crown prosecutor wanted meth to be treated as serious as cocaine
and heroin, which are Schedule 1 drugs. The judge indicated that even
if he chose to do that, that his hands are tied ... I'll be pursuing
this when the house resumes at the end of the month and asking
(Federal Justice Minister Irwin Cotler) in the house to move this from
a Schedule 3 to a Schedule 1 drug to better reflect the danger of this
drug and the damage that it does to our communities and individuals in
our communities," said Batters.

Cotler refused comment for this story. His press secretary said he
will not comment on any issue that is related to a court case.

Paul Duchesne, spokesperson for Health Canada, said the severity of
penalties for crimes involving crystal meth were discussed at the
Western Conference on Methamphetamines in Vancouver in November.

"Although no official request to examine this issue has been received
by Health Canada, the issue is being discussed with other
departments," said Duchesne.

Batters has been educating himself about crystal meth by talking to
the police chiefs in his constituency. He has also met with
Saskatchewan Party MLAs who are pushing the provincial government to
adopt a strategy for handling the rising popularity of crystal meth.

Batters insisted the government should move quickly to introduce a
bill to amend the Act.

"If they won't do it, it would be up to a private member's bill. I
would be proud to bring such a bill forward. But I don't think it
should have to come to that, though. Justice Minister Cotler should
move quickly to reclassify this," said Batters.