The federal Conservatives are proposing measures to address Canada’s border security issues and ongoing fentanyl crisis.
The Conservatives have put forward a motion in the House of Commons that calls on the Liberals to implement various changes to protect Canadians from deadly drugs.
Among the proposals is reversing the “catch-and-release Bill C-5,” which removed mandatory jail time for some violent offenders.
The Conservatives previously introduced legislation to strengthen penalties for drug production and trafficking offences. It awaits its second reading.
The recent motion calls for other changes to jail sentences for drug importation.
The Conservatives warned that opioids from so-called “safe supply” programs are being diverted to the black market and used to target vulnerable Canadians and teenagers.
Alberta saw a record number of residents die from opioid overdoses in 2023.
A previous study highlighted that one in four deaths in young adults is opioid-related.
Alberta, British Columbia, and other jurisdictions have warned that “safe supply” was resulting in an unprecedented number of drug overdoses.
“These diverted drugs are being resold within our community, trafficked to other jurisdictions, and even used as currency to obtain fentanyl, perpetuating the illegal drug trade,” said London Police Chief Thai Truong. “Vulnerable individuals are being targeted by criminals who exchange these prescriptions for fentanyl, exacerbating addiction and community harm.”
The Conservatives highlighted various data in a press release to back up their claims.
The release highlighted that in the year preceding Sept. 2024, U.S. border agents seized around 11,600 pounds of drugs at the U.S.-Canada border. Seizures of fentanyl tripled between 2023 and 2024, rising from 239,000 to 839,000 doses.
“A year ago, CSIS told Trudeau that they had identified more than 350 organized crime groups actively involved in the domestic illegal fentanyl market. And just last month, the RCMP uncovered a “super lab” operating in rural British Columbia that was capable of producing 95 million lethal doses of fentanyl,” reads the release.
The motion urges Trudeau to buy high-powered scanners and deploy additional security at ports to intercept fentanyl and its ingredients from entering Canada.
President-elect Donald Trump threatened a 25% tariff on all products from Canada and Mexico to address drug trafficking and illegal immigration into the United States.
The total trade between Canada and the United States was estimated at $960.8 billion in 2022. Canadian energy products accounted for 33.5% of the $598 billion in exports to the U.S. Economists warned that the tariffs would negatively affect both countries’ economies.
Data from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection showcased that six times more individuals on the terrorist watch list were apprehended at the Canada-U.S. border compared to the U.S.-Mexico border in 2023.
Canada’s premiers demanded improved border security from the Liberals in response to the tariffs.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre did too.
“Canadians are paying a dreadful price for everything that Justin Trudeau has broken, and we need a strong prime minister who has the brains and backbone to put Canada first and to fight for our workers and our security,” he said.
The Conservatives’ press release highlighted that since Trudeau took office, 47,000 Canadians have died of drug overdoses — a 200% increase since 2016. The party said that more Canadians have died of drug overdoses than those who died in World War Two.
“I don’t want to stop drug overdoses to please Donald Trump. I want to stop drug overdoses so that there’s not one more mother with her face buried in a pillow, sobbing that she just lost her kid,” said Poilievre.
A recent Leger poll revealed that less than one-third, 31%, of Canadians are confident in the Liberals’ ability to manage the president-elect and his tariff policies effectively.