The Liberal government intended to “use all tools” at its disposal to implement drug decriminalization nationally, according to an internal memo.
First reported by Blacklock’s Reporter, the document, a memo to Addictions Minister Ya’ara Saks obtained under access to information disclosure, was aimed at implementing a “national decriminalization” drug policy.
The memo was dated only five weeks before the B.C. provincial government decided to walk back its decriminalization project amid widespread backlash and reports of public disorder.
“Our government is committed to working in partnership with any jurisdictions that have a comprehensive plan for the decriminalization of possession of small amounts of substances for personal use,” reads the 134-page document. “Their plan would have to include close oversight and evaluation and ensure enhanced health and social supports, public engagement and law enforcement training.”
Under a headline that read “national decriminalization,” the memo read. “We continue to work with willing jurisdictions to use all tools at our disposal to address this crisis including approaches to decriminalization.”
The memo was to prepare Saks for an appearance before the House of Commons health committee in March, where Saks defended the Liberals’ decision to grant B.C. a waiver under the Controlled Drugs And Substances Act.
The waiver, granted by the Trudeau government last year, allowed B.C. residents to possess up to 2.5 grams of cocaine, methamphetamine, opioids like fentanyl and other hard drugs and use them in public spaces legally.
However, the province walked back part of its experiment in April. B.C. Premier David Eby asked the federal government to have the exemption reversed regarding drug use in public spaces, like hospitals and restaurants after several unsavoury incidents and strong public backlash.
The Trudeau government confirmed the reversal in May.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre seized on the news about the “national” decriminalization plan.
“If they are re-elected, expect crack, cocaine, heroin and fentanyl in a schoolyard near you,” Poilievre wrote of the Liberals in a post on X.
“This now explains why the Trudeau Government repeatedly refused to reject the City of Toronto’s and the City of Montreal’s request for the same hard drug legalization experiment that caused so much harm in B.C,” the Conservative Party of Canada said in a statement.
The party’s release said the British Columbia “experiment” came with a death toll and it would be reckless to expand the program nationally.
“Ya’ara Saks, has refused to admit that this experiment has been a failure, and now, this secret Liberal Government memo has revealed that the Liberal Government is planning a national hard drug legalization program to replicate their disastrous experiment from BC across the country,” the party’s statement said.
Saks did not respond to a request for comment from True North.