Pubdate: Wed, 08 Oct 2008 Source: Victoria Times-Colonist (CN BC) Copyright: 2008 Times Colonist Contact: http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/letters.html Website: http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/481 Author: Cindy E. Harnett NEEDLE EXCHANGE SPARKS HOT WORDS AT ESQUIMALT-JUAN DE FUCA TOWN HALL Desouza At Odds With Other Candidates Over Best Approach To Drug Addiction It didn't take long for the debate to heat up between Esquimalt-Juan de Fuca federal election candidates in a town hall forum last night in which more than 300 people packed into Isabelle Reader Theatre and spilled out into the hallway. Incumbent Keith Martin of the Liberal party, NDP candidate Jennifer Burgis, Conservative Troy DeSouza and Brian Gordon of the Green party each gave two-minute presentations outlining their platforms before lining up for a battery of questions from the audience. The majority of questions were fired at the Liberal and Conservative candidates. Martin has been an MP since 1993; he narrowly won re-election in 2006. He was a former Reformer/Conservative who left the party to sit as an Independent and was re-elected as a Liberal. Issues of the economy, climate change, the arts, health care, the region's growth and transportation -- the desire for a McKenzie Avenue/Admirals Road overpass and an upgraded E&N commuter train -- were all served up for debate. However, the most contentious issues of the early evening were about drug use in the south Island, sewage treatment, food safety and carbon taxes. Martin talked of his support for safe-injection sites, narcotic substitution projects, one-stop easy access to health-care for low-income people at risk and affordable housing as answers for people who are often suffering from psychiatric and addiction problems. "They should not be in jail," said Martin, a physician, criticizing the Conservative government's tough on crime attitude toward illicit drugs. Gordon agreed that the $40,000 a year spent to keep a drug user in jail -- where they will only learn worse behaviours -- would be better spent on giving those addicts treatment services. Burgis also supported harm reduction and pushed the need for the federal government to better fund detox services to help those who are addicted such as "young people who get hooked on crystal meth." However DeSouza came out strong against the pack saying: "You do not give an alcoholic a bottle of booze." The Conservative candidate agreed with more detox and treatment services but said a safe-injection site would only spread the same problems that have been experienced by downtown Victoria's needle exchange. "It would be that much worse on a tenfold level," DeSouza said. Martin outlined his priorities as health care, affordable housing and access to resources for projects such as light rapid transit and the E&N train, as well as storm drain upgrades to prevent toxins from reaching waterways. DeSouza promised to deliver a McKenzie/Admirals Road overpass to fight the Colwood Crawl traffic, and to fight for more shipbuilding and high-tech jobs. Burgis stressed the economy, transit, climate change and the affordability of such things as child and senior care, education, and health care as the most important issues. Gordon emphasized the need for a holistic vision to solve all of the country's problems at once. He focused on the need for a green economy, food security and clean transportation as main issues. Also running for office to represent Esquimalt-Juan de Fuca are Independent Philip Ney, and the Canadian Action Party's Brad Rhodes. The town hall meeting was limited to the parties which receive federal election funding in Western Canada. The forum was sponsored by the Times Colonist and CHEK News. It was moderated by Dave Obee, Times Colonist editorial page editor, and Mary Griffin of CHEK News. - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin