POT LAWS, HEALTH ISSUES WORRY STUDENTS

Young Voters Seem to Like the Green and NDP Platforms

The decriminalization of marijuana drew the most questions from students at
an information session Wednesday with Sudbury riding candidates.

While the candidates at the Lively Secondary School event were asked their
views on everything from gay marriage to taxes, they were not allowed to
engage in a debate.

However, that did not stop them from firing the occasional potshot.

Conservative candidate Stephen Butcher accused the Liberals of cutting
health-care spending by 33 per cent, while Gerry McIntaggart pointed to
incumbent Liberal MP Diane Marleau's performance on certain issues.

"While health minister, she dropped the taxes on cigarettes which allowed
kids to smoke," he said. "As city councillor and MP, she did a good job.

"She may have been a wee bit tired the last few years because she lost a us
a lot of jobs in Sudbury."

"I didn't reduce (tobacco) taxes," replied Marleau, adding that federal
funding for health care was $29.5 billion in 1993 and is $39 billion this
year, so that represents an increase.

On health care, the students appeared the most interested on the Green
Party's position on "making Canadians healthier."

"How are you going to make Canadians healthier?" asked one student.

"About 50 per cent of cancers are caused by chemicals," said Luke Norton,
the Green Party candidate. "We would ban pesticides and cut down on
pollution and give more funds to municipalities to put toward bike trails
and keeping rinks open."

The party would also like to see doctors receiving a flat salary because
under the current fee-for-service system, there's no incentive for doctors
to promote a healthier lifestyle for their clients.

A couple students wanted to know why Canada hasn't made it easier for
foreign-born doctors to practice here.

"I volunteer at the cancer centre every Tuesday," said Butcher. "It's
dominated by foreign doctors. It's very wrong to let in doctors from
foreign countries ... We're stealing their doctors."

Marleau defended the use of foreign doctors, explaining that it was a way
to fill the gap. She noted that there won't be doctors graduating from the
Northern Ontario Medical School -- based in Sudbury and Thunder Bay -- for
another six or seven years.

The NDP, Conservative, Liberal and Green Party positions on pot, was
definitely a hot issue among the Grade 11 and 12 students.

Decriminalizing the possession of small amounts of pot is a way of
"unclogging the court" system, said Marleau. Those caught holding a couple
grams would get a fine, much like a traffic fine, while those with a
significant amount would face criminal charges.

"So, you don't make a criminal of those who smoke up once and a while," she
said.

Green Party candidate Luke Norton, 25, said not to mistake the colour of
his party with favour for the plant. He admitted to being a heavy pot
smoker for three years, adding those were very unproductive years in which
he mostly playing video games.

"It's not something I'm proud of," he said.

While he thinks smoking pot is a "bad idea" his party is in favour of
decriminalization.

"You shouldn't smoke pot. It will kill you," he told the students.

Norton added that cigarettes and alcohol, which also pose health risks, are
legal.

"(Pot) is no worse than liquor. But if we legalize it, more people will do it."

McIntaggart said he tried pot once, but it gave him a headache. He's
against all forms of smoking because of the health risks.

However, decriminalization of small amounts would be less costly to the
taxpayers.

The Conservatives have no policy on pot; however, Butcher added that
personally he's against drugs.

While some students, such as Ian Johnson, 17, Lively, left the session
still undecided on which party they would vote for it they could, most
appeared to be leaning towards the Green Party or NDP.

"I was impressed with the Green Party. They take care of the environment,"
said Tanner Mulligan, 17. "I'm not interested in politics that much."

"I like the Green Party," said Mike Carver, 17. "Basically, for their
radicalness and the fact they are different. They stand for what I believe in."

While Carver doesn't think the Green Party will do well in this election,
he added "there's hope for the future."

Sophie Marion, 16, also favoured the Green Party. She liked their idea of
cutting pollutants as a means of addressing the health care crisis; the
idea of "fixing the cause of the problem first," she said.

Alexandra Holmes, 18, is leaning toward the NDP, "because they seemed the
most interested in students and in their interests."