CRIME STANCE BRINGS BENEFIT TO CRIMINALS

As the Conservative government uses its majority powers to
effectively silence debate on the Safe Streets and Communities Act,
the growing call for measures that would actually make our streets
safer continues to fall on deaf ears in Ottawa.

Last week, five Vancouver mayors past and present joined the chorus
"" one that includes police chiefs, economists and politicians of all
political stripes "" to overturn Canada's marijuana prohibition.

"oeMarijuana prohibition is "" without question "" a failed policy.
It is creating violent, gang-related crime in our communities and
fear among our citizens, and adding financial costs for all levels of
government at a time when we can least afford them," stated a letter
from former Vancouver mayors Larry Campbell , Michael Harcourt, Sam
Sullivan and Phillip Owen. Current Mayor Gregor Robinson has since
added his voice to the cause.

And the cause is nothing new. Back in 1991, Nobel Prize-winning
conservative economist Milton Friedman noted: "oeIf you look at the
drug war from a purely economic point of view, the role of the
government is to protect the drug cartel."

Canada's drug kingpins are no doubt relieved that Prime Minister
Stephen Harper is in no hurry to end that protection. He was quick to
rule out any consideration of changing the government's stance on
marijuana "" despite polling that shows the vast majority of
Canadians disagree.

One need look no further than Canada's stance on tobacco "" a drug
most health experts contend is far more dangerous than marijuana.
Tobacco use has witnessed a sharp and steady decline over the past 50
years. And this was achieved without building one more prison to
house chain-smokers, but rather through a government commitment to
education and regulation.

The government can fill the countryside with bigger and better
prisons, but until the Conservatives begin to focus on the problem
instead of ideology, the criminals will only get richer.