ANTI-DRUG ADS INFURIATE KWAN

A furious Jenny Kwan is threatening to sue over what she calls "a
Liberal smear campaign" against her.

Engaged in a close struggle with Liberal Gail Sparrow in Vancouver-Mount
Pleasant, Kwan is angry with a media campaign by an anti-drug activist.

Richard Lee, of the Community Alliance, has taken out ads blasting Kwan
in Chinese-language newspapers, radio and TV stations.

He denies any connection with the Liberals: "I see this as my right to
free speech versus a falling cabinet minister in Jenny Kwan."

Lee says he won't pull his ads or apologize. He insists Kwan has
flip-flopped on her position on setting up a drug-addiction centre on
East Hastings Street.

Kwan campaign spokesman Stephen Howard said the ads are "really, really
offensive" and suggest Kwan is "personally distributing needles to drug
addicts" in the Downtown Eastside.

Howard said the ads were placed by Zone Communications, a firm that has
done work for B.C. Liberal candidates Daniel Lee and Patrick Wong.

The ads in part state "Jenny Kwan changes her position, supports the
setting up of drug-addiction contact centre in Chinatown, distributing
lots of needles."