SoVote

Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 312

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
May 9, 2024 10:00AM
Context: House Hansard - 312 - May/9/24
Hon. Patty Hajdu
  • May/9/24 12:01:30 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I am extremely grateful to the law enforcement officers who work every single day with people who use substances. They are the hardest working members of a community, and we can all thank them. In fact, I had an opportunity to go on a ride-along with law enforcement members just a couple years ago, and it was at Christmastime. Out of the 14 calls for help, 12 of them were for substance use-related disorder issues, including for alcoholism. These people were in the darkest moments of their days. The law enforcement officers helped people and they connected them to mental health services. What they said repeatedly was that they needed a range of supports for people who were struggling in this way. It is heartbreaking work and people are doing it every day. I thank those enforcement officers.
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Context: House Hansard - 312 - May/9/24
Hon. Patty Hajdu (Minister of Indigenous Services and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario, Lib.)
  • May/9/24 1:16:23 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, we see the same kind of stigmatization with the language used by the member opposite. They talk about horror movies, which is invoking the fear of people who are really struggling in their circumstances, whom I feel such tremendous sadness for. I would ask the member about her premise, which is really to return to a failed war on substance users. It has been the approach. Indeed, it was the approach of the Stephen Harper government. It certainly has been the approach of many other Conservative governments. However, we have not actually seen an alleviation, even in countries that have even a more extreme war on substance users, with up to life imprisonment for those who are struggling and, in some sad cases, even death. Can the member tell me how this new proposal from the Conservatives would work when we have evidence from around the world that it poses a deep burden on families and substance users?
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Context: House Hansard - 312 - May/9/24
Mr. Warren Steinley (Regina—Lewvan, CPC)
  • May/9/24 1:45:34 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, the member should be happy; this is of substance. This has been tried before. Portland, Oregon, did safe supply decriminalization. B.C. tried it. Their overdoses skyrocketed. This is not a new phenomenon. I know the NDP members are very upset because the NDP policies are failing Canadians, and people are dying—
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Context: House Hansard - 312 - May/9/24
Mr. Gérard Deltell (Louis-Saint-Laurent, CPC)
  • May/9/24 1:49:19 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for his speech a few moments ago and congratulate him on the quality of his French. The member asked for a question with substance, and I will easily ask a question with substance. The government waited more than 10 days before saying yes to the request of the provincial jurisdiction. Why wait so long?
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Context: House Hansard - 312 - May/9/24
Hon. Patty Hajdu
  • May/9/24 3:23:33 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I was really disappointed with the use of the word “addicts” to describe people who are struggling with substance use. In her question to the House, the member for Peterborough—Kawartha used this pejorative term again, as her leader has many times, to undermine the value and worth of people who use substances. I would ask that she withdraw it and apologize to the House. Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
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