FEDS TARGET DRUG-IMPAIRED DRIVING

Ottawa is setting its sights on drivers who are high on drugs when
they get behind the wheel, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said
yesterday as he announced legislation to give police powerful new
tools in their search for impaired motorists.

Canadian society needs to take the threat posed by driving under the
influence of drugs as seriously as drinking and driving, Harper said
in Kitchener.

"Just as governments once took action on drunk driving, we must act
today to make drug-impaired driving just as socially unacceptable,"
he said, flanked on stage by beaming members of the lobby group
Mothers Against Drunk Driving Canada.

"The legislation will, among other things, provide police with more
tools to detect drug-impaired drivers."

While the event bore the hallmarks of an election stump speech --
apple-cheeked children, flags, a boisterous crowd and a
tough-on-crime measure opposition members would have trouble opposing
- -- Harper bristled at the suggestion he was in pre-election mode.

"We promised to deal toughly with crime when we were running for
office," he said when asked if the many justice bills currently
before the House of Commons were being used as window dressing for
his minority Conservative government.

"Yes, we have a fair number of justice bills . . . what's contentious
about that? This is only contentious legislation if you don't really
want to pass it in the first place. That's the problem with the
opposition."

As Harper was making his announcement, a university student who lost
consciousness while driving after smoking crack-cocaine was pleading
guilty to two charges in Guelph.

Court heard another motorist pulled in front of Joelson's car and
used her own vehicle to stop the out-of-control car.

The Liberals dismissed the announcement as a hypocritical photo-op,
noting the Tories recently announced $4 million in cuts to the RCMP's
budget for drug-impaired detection training.

"It's pretty hard for the prime minister to make a claim about
toughening legislation and giving the impression of being law and
order, and at the same time starving the policy financially," said
Liberal MP Dan McTeague.

Harper said the RCMP program simply wasn't working.

"Our evaluation was that program was not effective," he said. "So
obviously we're looking at better ways of addressing the problem."

The legislation, to be introduced when the House of Commons returns
from its Remembrance Day break, will also increase penalties and
"strengthen presumptions" of breath and blood tests -- even though
suitable tests for drug impairment, apart from blood tests, aren't
available in Canada.

"There are technological challenges in terms of testing for certain
kinds of drugs," Harper acknowledged.

The current law makes it difficult to arrest someone for
drug-impaired driving, said a Waterloo police officer.

"Unless we can find some evidence, like if they were actually in
possession of drugs or if they readily admit to consuming drugs . . .
then (we can't) arrest them," said Sergeant Dave Reibel.