'DRUG-DRIVING' BILL WOULD DIE WITH A SPRING ELECTION CALL

OTTAWA -- The Martin government will introduce one of its first new
pieces of legislation on Monday -- a bill to help police nab Canadians
who take drugs and drive.

The initiative, which would suffer a quick death if a federal election
is called this spring, is considered necessary in light of proposed
legislation to decriminalize marijuana.

The drug-driving bill is Justice Minister Irwin Cotler's first
original legislative endeavor since assuming his portfolio in December.

"The minister believes that drug-impaired driving is a serious problem
and justifies changes to our laws to fight it," said Cotler's
spokeswoman, Denise Rudnicki.

While it is illegal to drive while under the influence of drugs, there
has been no reliable test for measuring drug impairment.

Under a federal plan, the government would train police officers
across Canada to become experts in recognizing physiological symptoms
of impairment and then allow them to conduct physical tests at the
roadside.

If a suspect fails police could proceed to the next stage of saliva
testing. The procedure could then move to the police station, where
police could demand blood or urine samples.

Lawyers say the new federal proposals are overly intrusive and they
give police too much subjective leeway. They say this will virtually
guarantee Charter-of-Rights court challenges.