MP CANDIDATES TALK CRIME

FEDERAL ELECTION candidates shared a variety of views on illegal
drugs and alcohol and, in particular, whether marijuana should be
decriminalized.

Green party candidate Hondo Arendt said he did not believe crime
should be a main issue in the election.

"The crime rate dropped seven per cent in B.C. over the last year...
I'm not saying now is the time we've got no crime it's time to get
rid of the police force, I'm saying it's strange it's the hottest
issue of the campaign when there's so many issues in our society to
deal with right now," he said.

In rebuttal, NDP incumbent MP Nathan Cullen said "One of the things
that's great about living in the Northwest is the sense of
security...and a lot of that feeling and this sense of security is
slipping away from us.

"Where I've seen government fail is in the rehabilitation process,"
he said. "It is what we must speak to whenever we address the crime issue."

Conservative candidate Sharon Smith defended her party's policies,
saying "our government has introduced legislation to be tough on
crime and included in that it is to be a deterrent for crime but
also...incarceration is for treatment and rehabilitation. We need to
protect our innocent victims and that's what the tough on crime bill
is all about."

Liberal candidate Corinna Morhart said more work needs to be put into
the proactive side of youth crime, and not forget about others moving up here.

"I would like to see more drug enforcement officers in this riding
and an increase in policing with so many coming into the area, it's
only right to have our people safe."

Cullen said more focus needs to be on alcohol as it's more prevalent,
especially when it comes to the courts.

He remembered sitting on a law enforcement panel here at the college
with a local judge and prosecutor and others. The prosecutor told
them only one or two cases out of 10 were related to drugs, while the
rest were related to alcohol.

"We can't isolate marijuana off in one corner," Cullen said. "We have
to get the whole addiction to make sure we can live healthier lives
in the Northwest."

Arendt said his party does not recommend the use of marijuana but
does support the decriminalization of marijuana because the costs of
clamping down on it are too high especially compared to the revenue
it could produce if it was a government run system.

"We don't believe the current system really restricts it. Any teen
will tell you they have more access to marijuana than alcohol so the
system isn't blocking access to it at all."

Canadian Action party candidate Mary-Etta Goodacre said she believes
marijuana should be decriminalized, but the U.S. slaps Canada's hand
when our government tries to.

Hemp is a wonderful plant used in Europe to make such things as
fabric, plastics and fibre, she said. She added that marijuana is not
nearly as hard on people as alcohol.

Taylor said the CHP does not support decriminalization. While
marijuana itself may not be that harmful, there is a lifestyle
component in it that can lead to harder drugs, he said.

In terms of youth offenders, the CHP does not want to throw people in
jail for minor crimes but believes in restitution for nonviolent crimes