PARLIAMENT PEEVED OVER POT TALKS

Opposition Asks Why Washington Consulted On Canadian Policy

OTTAWA - Prime Minister Jean Chretien launched a campaign Tuesday to allay
U.S. fears about marijuana decriminalization, but he succeeded only in
provoking the wrath of opposition MPs who say he's letting the Bush
administration make his policy.

The New Democrats, Conservatives and Bloc Quebecois all cried foul when
they learned Justice Minister Martin Cauchon was headed for Washington to
brief U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft on the government's plans.

The problem, they said, was that the Americans were getting the inside dope
before legislation reforming the pot law is tabled in Parliament.

"There goes Canadian sovereignty up in smoke," complained NDP Leader Jack
Layton. "Here's the American government advising on what Canadian policy
will be before the House of Commons even has a look at it. It's quite
astounding."

Conservative Leader Joe Clark agreed that Cauchon should have come to
Parliament "before he went trotting off to the White House."

Bloc Leader Gilles Duceppe wondered why it was so important to "obtain the
permission of Washington" before taking legislative action.

Chretien was unmoved, rejecting claims that Cauchon's consultation with
Ashcroft on Tuesday would compromise Canadian sovereignty.

"Obviously, if the Americans want to know more on the subject of our bill,
I have no objection to telling them something that Parliament will
ultimately decide on," said the prime minister.

Cauchon, meanwhile, wasn't about to tell Canadians what was said in the
meeting with Ashcroft.

His office said the event was private and the minister would not discuss
what the pair spoke about.

"The minister is presently in Washington, he's meeting Mr. Ashcroft in a
private meeting and there's no media availability," said spokeswoman
Suzanne Thebarge.

The Liberals are expected to bring in legislation by next week that would
make possession of 15 grams or less of pot a minor offence, something like
a traffic violation.

Jails terms and criminal records for such offences would be eliminated and
fines - possibly as little as $100 - would be imposed instead.

But government strategists say Cauchon will move at the same time to boost
penalties for growers and traffickers. The government is also widely
expected to announce new spending on drug prevention, education and
treatment, all aimed at discouraging use, especially be young people.

Some officials in the Bush administration have expressed concern that
changing the possession law in Canada could result in more pot crossing the
U.S. border.

Paul Cellucci, the American ambassador to Ottawa, has warned there may be
longer lineups at border points as customs officers check for drugs.

Chretien suggested the U.S. fears are largely a matter of perception that
he and Cauchon want to counter.

Several U.S. states have already decriminalized simple possession, the
prime minister noted, and Canada wants to make it clear its own move in
that direction won't mean outright legalization.

"We're modernizing the sentences for marijuana. It's not legal, we will not
make it legal. The sentences will be different, they will be tougher for
the growers, the traffickers, and less tough for the people who use it in
small quantities."

Cauchon said his briefing to Ashcroft would be confined to the broad
objectives of the bill, with details to be filled in only when the
legislation is made public in the Commons.

The message to Washington, he said, would be that "the two countries are
working exactly in the same direction . . . maintaining the illegality of
drug use in our countries."

There is some evidence, however, that Liberal policy has already been
affected by criticism from south of the border.

The proposed 15-gram limit for non-criminal possession is half the 30 grams
recommended by a Commons committee and a far cry from the outright
legalization urged by a Senate committee.

The lower limit is believed to have been adopted in part because new
strains of more potent pot make it easier to get higher on smaller doses.

American officials have been particularly worried about so-called B.C. bud,
a Canadian-grown product that has been finding its way into the United States.