CLARK TAKES A STAND ON MARIJUANA

Joe Clark, leader of the Progressive Conservative party, spoke out this
week in favour of decriminalizing marijuana possession. National Post
reporter Graeme Hamilton asked the 62-year-old former prime minister, in
Montreal for a fundraising dinner last night, to elaborate on his position.

Q. I gather you are in favour of decriminalizing marijuana but not
legalizing it. Why do you oppose legalization?

A. The question asked was: Am I in favour of decriminalization? I made the
point that the House has passed a motion to have the matter looked at. The
party has various views on it. My view, strongly, is that people who might
have been charged with marijuana possession should not have that as an
obstacle for the rest of their lives. As to other questions that the
committee will look at, I'm not going to pre-judge them.

Q. Lately you've been enjoying success, establishing yourself as kind of a
reliable elder statesman in contrast with Mr. [Stockwell] Day, who has been
a little gaffe-prone. If you're being seen now as a crusader on behalf of
marijuana users and their rights, where does that fit into this strategy?

A. It would be quite a stretch to transform a response to legitimate
question in a scrum into a crusade. I'm stating a position that I've stated
before and that I think is fairly broadly shared. I made it clear that
other members of the party aren't necessarily in support of that. I
wouldn't be surprised when the issue comes before the committee that a lot
of people who support the Canadian Alliance, whether they sit as Members of
Parliament or otherwise, have had personal experience with family or
friends who have suffered the very serious consequences of a criminal
record attaching to an action that, were it not for the criminal law, would
be regarded as fairly casual. ... I think it would be quite a stretch to
call anything I'm talking about a crusade.

Q. Do you think that these kind of positions that, if not a crusade, at
least by a certain segment of the population will be seen as fairly
progressive and enlightened, do you think it might help attract younger
voters to the Tories?

A. I suppose it might, but again, the reason I answered the question was
that it was asked. But I think that probably as more young people take a
look at us, they will find that this is a party that tries to take a pretty
open view on questions of individual choice and human behaviour.

Q. It's not a sign that you consider the Bloc Pot as any kind of a serious
threat after they ran some candidates in the last federal election?

A. They ran one in Kings-Hants --a nice fellow -- but no, I don't see that.

Q. It's well known that you value the opinions of your daughter, Catherine.
Is this an issue she has advised you on?

A. No, as a matter of fact, it isn't. We've not discussed it. We may
tonight. She's en route here. So I'll ask her if she shares her father's
view. She often doesn't. I've got to run.

Q. A lot of politicians get asked this, but now it seems particularly
germane, have you yourself ever smoked marijuana?

A. No, I have not.