BILL ENJOYS BROAD-BASED SUPPORT

EDITOR,

In responding to Russell Barth's "Tory drug policy 'counterproductive"
(Letters, The Chief, Dec. 10), I have to ask, who are you going to
believe - a licensed drug user in Nepean, Ont., or the long list of
people who support Bill C-475, the Private Member's Bill I introduced
in the House of Commons which, for the first time in this session,
attracted unanimous support of all MPs who voted? The list of
supporters includes the District of Squamish, the Resort Municipality
of Whistler, the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District, Chief Gibby
Jacob of the Squamish Nation, Chief Constable of the West Vancouver
Police Department, the Association of British Columbia Police Chiefs,
the Office of the Solicitor General of British Columbia, North Shore
Substance Abuse Working Group (made up of councilors from the
Municipality of West Vancouver, District of North Vancouver, City of
North Vancouver and Municipality of Bowen Island), the Federation of
Canadian Municipalities, Bowen Island Orc! hard Treatment Centre, and
Crystal Meth Society of British Columbia?

The writer wrongly portrays the bill as "Tory Drug Policy." This was
my Private Member's Bill, shaped by constituents; the Justice Critics
of the other three federal parties; and experts in the area of drug
use. The bill creates a new offence for the procurement of ingredients
by someone intending to manufacture either of these highly addictive
drugs.

As mentioned above, Bill C-475 received the support not just of the
Tories, but of every Member of Parliament in the House who voted, that
is 287 MP's out of 308 of MPs (including the entire NDP caucus).

Mr. Barth, we can admire your rugged independence, as your views are
out of step with Canadians of almost every imaginable political stripe.

John Weston, MP

West Vancouver - Sunshine Coast - Sea to Sky country

West Vancouver