KILLING BILL WAS DISGUSTING

The federal Liberals' slippery end-run around local MP Keith Martin's
private member's bill to decriminalize marijuana would be comical if it
weren't so disgusting.

Forget about Martin's breach of parliamentary tradition in touching the
Mace after the bill was emasculated. That act and censure for it were
merely some the theatre of the absurd that Martin decided he needed to
orchestrate in order to protest the Liberals' sneaky destruction of four
years of the Alliance MP's work.

The Mace is just an ornament, for heaven's sake. An appurtenance. An
inanimate object. One would think people are more important.

By invoking a childish amendment to Martin's bill, the Liberals showed that
they aren't serious about allowing private members bills to have free votes
in the House of Commons. Breaking the spirit of such a pledge has to be a
more egregious act than brandishing an object. More importantly, the
Liberals' action has killed legislation that would have a huge impact on
many people's lives.