PM PUSHES POT CHANGE

Tells Grit Dinner 'Activist' Agenda Coming

OTTAWA -- Prime Minister Jean Chretien says he's never "tasted" pot in his
life but his government is pushing ahead with a new marijuana law and a
national strategy aimed at keeping teens off drugs.

In a speech at the Liberal fundraising Maple Leaf dinner in Ottawa,
Chretien said in the coming weeks his government will follow through with
its "activist" agenda.

That will include bringing in a new law to decriminalize possession of
small amounts of pot -- a statement that got wild applause from the
1,000-plus Grits who paid $500 a plate to dine with the PM.

"Don't start to smoke right away. We're not legalizing it, we're
decriminalizing it," he joked.

"I never smoked in my life -- yes, I smoked cigarettes when I was a kid
when my father didn't want me to smoke. When he gave me the permission at
16, I stopped. Marijuana was not known, so I never asked him permission (to
smoke it)."

The new pot law and the strategy will be unveiled in the next few weeks,
Chretien said.

"We will soon introduce legislation to decriminalize possession of small
amounts of marijuana so that young people do not have unnecessary criminal
records for the rest of their lives," he said.

"At the same time we will have a drug strategy to discourage young people
from using drugs, and which will target drug traffickers."

The PM also said controversial new rules banning all corporate donations to
political parties, and putting a $1,000 limit on other donations, will be
brought in before the Commons recesses for the summer.

The new bill will also increase the amount of taxpayer dollars used to fund
political parties.

"I know that political party finance reform is controversial, but we are
not afraid to take on controversial issues. It is the right thing to do."

There have been rumblings within the business community about how the
Liberals can expect corporate support while bringing in new political
finance rules.