POT BILL DEFEAT ANGERS MP

Keith Martin Apologizes For Breaching House Decorum

OTTAWA - Canadian Alliance MP Keith Martin breached Parliamentary decorum
by touching the ceremonial mace after his private member's bill on
marijuana was defeated Wednesday evening.

The B.C. MP, whose bill calling for the decriminalization of marijuana was
effectively defeated by a Liberal amendment, apologized.

"I apologize to you Mr. Speaker and the members of the House for touching
the mace in the heat of the moment. I tried to make a point that democracy
was violated, four years of work was destroyed... I did that to make a
point and I shouldn't have."

Touching the mace, symbol of the Speaker's authority in the House, violates
decorum.

Martin, MP for the riding of Esquimalt-Juan de Fuca, shouted "this is not a
democracy Mr. Speaker," after a Liberal amendment to his bill passed by a
109-88 vote. The amendment made some changes in the wording that
effectively killed the bill.

Martin's proposal would have taken simple possession of marijuana out of
the criminal courts and instead would have provided for fines for possession.