POT LEGALIZATION REPORT SHOWS NEED FOR SENATE REFORM, ALLIANCE LEADER SAYS

BARRIE, Ont. (CP) - A Senate committee report that pushes legalizing
marijuana shows the need to reform the upper chamber, says Opposition
Leader Stephen Harper, who would rather his kids drank alcohol than smoked pot.

While a re-examination of the country's drug laws is needed, Harper said
Thursday that recommendations in the "fairly radical" report border on
advocating pot use.

"It really quite distresses me," he said.

The father of a three-year-old girl and five-year-old boy said he doesn't
buy arguments that alcohol is more harmful than smoking marijuana.

"As a parent, I would be more concerned about pot use than alcohol use by
my children, even in moderation," said Harper, an asthmatic who has never
smoked.

In a series of sweeping recommendations, the committee said cannabis should
be legally available to anyone over 16 and pressed for an amnesty to as
many as 600,000 Canadians who have criminal records for possession of the drug.

The committee argued that the current system of prohibition doesn't work
and said marijuana was banned in 1923 amid "a moral panic" and without any
national debate.

Beyond the health concerns about legalized pot, Harper said a more
important issue raised by the report is the status of the Senate.

"This should once again raise concerns about the need to reform the Senate,
the need to have a legislative body that is elected and accountable and
acts that way," he said.

"If we would have had that, it would have tempered some of the
(committee's) recommendations."

Senate reform, which has become a largely dormant issue, was once one of
the most visible policies of the Alliance's precursor, the Western-based
Reform party.

Harper made his comments at a three-day caucus retreat in this town 50
minutes north of Toronto and the birthplace of his leadership predecessor,
Stockwell Day.

Other issues under discussion among caucus members included business and
government ethics.

The party also released internal polling data Thursday suggesting the
Alliance is doing slightly better than other polls have indicated.

The Praxicus poll of 1,000 done in the middle of last month, indicates the
Alliance tied with the Conservatives at 15 per cent of the vote, well
behind the Liberals at 46 per cent.

"We're a long way from where we need to be but it's obviously not as bleak
as some of the other pollsters are suggesting," said pollster Dimitri
Pantazopoulos.

The poll, with a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points 19 times out of
20, also indicates a majority of Canadians believe it's time another leader
or party had a chance to govern the country.