HARPER THROWS $63.8M AT WAR ON DRUGS

Two-Year Plan Calls for Better Treatment

WINNIPEG -- Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced a new federal
anti-drug strategy in Winnipeg yesterday that was applauded by police
and addictions groups alike, but not by opposition parties.

The two-year, $63.8-million plan will provide roughly $43 million for
modernization of addiction treatment services, community anti-drug
programming and a public awareness campaign aimed at discouraging
youth from using drugs.

A further $21 million will go towards the enforcement end of the war
on drugs, with more money for police, Crown prosecutors, border
guards, correctional services and even intelligence agents in New York
and Seattle.

The government also promised to table legislation this fall that would
require mandatory minimum prison sentences for those convicted of
"serious" drug crimes.

Harper did not say what crimes would be considered serious or how long
the prison terms might be.

"If you fall into drugs you can get help to get out, but if you sell
or produce drugs you'll pay with prison time," Harper said of the
strategy. "We can't get clean overnight, but we'll put our country on
the road to recovery."

Tony Cannavino, president of the Canadian Police Association, said he
likes the tough stance on drug dealing.

"It's encouraging to have legislators who are on the same page as
we've been for years," he said. "We don't want these dealers poisoning
our neighbourhoods, our schools, our brothers and sisters."

Two NDP MPs at yesterday's announcement panned the
strategy.

Winnipeg MP Judy Wasylycia-Leis called the strategy a "George
Bush-style war on drugs" and said it needed "more treatment, more harm
reduction and more enforcement."

Winnipeg Centre MP Pat Martin said the federal NDP would likely oppose
the proposed legislation as the party has a history of being opposed
to mandatory minimum sentences, which he says take sentencing power
out of the hands of judges .

The federal Liberals issued a media release slamming the strategy
because it doesn't commit to harm reduction initiatives like
safe-injection sites.

The new money adds to anti-drug programming already in place, which
now totals $417 million after yesterday's announcement.