Bill C-15 Update: Gone, but not forgotten

 

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From: Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy [mailto:caleb@cssdp.org]
Sent: Tuesday, January 05, 2010 1:14 PM
To: Haden, Mark [VC]
Subject: Bill C-15 Update: Gone, but not forgotten

Hey Mark, Big news in the fight against bad drug policy!  The Conservative government has decided to suspend, or 'prorogue' Parliament until March 3rd.  This means that all Bills at the House and Senate, including Bill C-15, are officially dead. The good news is that we, along with allies in the drug policy reform movement were successful in delaying this bill from becoming law before the prorogation of Parliament. Thank you for your help in defeating Bill C-15! This doesn’t mean we are in the clear however. In announcing that the Throne Speech would not be until March 3th, the Prime Minister’s Office made their plan to re-introduce Bill C-15 very clear. Here is the message from the Prime Minister: “We will reintroduce in their original form the consumer safety law (Bill C-6) and the anti-drug-crime law (Bill C-15) that the Ignatieff Liberals gutted. We will seek Opposition agreement to proceed expeditiously with other Government legislation -- particularly laws urgently needed to fight crime -- that the Ignatieff Liberals have blocked and obstructed.” With Harper expected to appoint 5 new Senators this week, the now Liberal dominated Senate will be a Conservative dominated Senate once Parliament resumes. Therefore, the fight is not over and we have to continue to spread our message: If we want to be serious about protecting our youth, we have to stop talking about mandatory minimum sentences and start talking about evidence based drug policies. Some form of this bill will re-emerge at the House of Commons. We’ve been here before. Bill C-26 died during the previous prorogation and re-emerged in harsher form as Bill C-15. Therefore, we must keep up the pressure against this harmful drug policy. Keep calling and writing your Members of Parliament! Those who voted against C-15 need to be congratulated and encouraged to keep up the fight while those who voted in favour of C-15 need to know that you don't support mandatory minimum sentences for drug crimes or the 'tough on crime' propaganda.  Keep writing the papers, calling the radio shows, and let them know the many reasons why it’s time to get smart on crime! CSSDP will continue to fight the use of mandatory minimum sentences for drug crimes in Canadian policy in the House and in the streets.  Check out our website regularly for updates and strategy tips.    Happy New Year! Caleb Chepesiuk Director Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy office: 613-729-5505       cell: 613-297-8792 www.cssdp.org

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