ALLOWING CRIMINALS TO BENEFIT

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.

"Marijuana 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.

And the cause is nothing new. Back in 1991, Nobel Prize-winning
conservative economist Milton Friedman noted: "If 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 a 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.