Pubdate: Fri, 17 Dec 2010 Source: Chief, The (CN BC) Copyright: 2010 Whistler Printing & Publishing Contact: http://www.squamishchief.com/section/squamish0303&template=letter Website: http://www.squamishchief.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2414 Author: John Weston Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v10/n1027/a03.html BILL ENJOYS BROAD-BASED SUPPORT EDITOR, In responding to Russell Barth's "Tory drug policy 'counterproductive" (Letters, The Chief, Dec. 10), I have to ask, who are you going to believe - a licensed drug user in Nepean, Ont., or the long list of people who support Bill C-475, the Private Member's Bill I introduced in the House of Commons which, for the first time in this session, attracted unanimous support of all MPs who voted? The list of supporters includes the District of Squamish, the Resort Municipality of Whistler, the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District, Chief Gibby Jacob of the Squamish Nation, Chief Constable of the West Vancouver Police Department, the Association of British Columbia Police Chiefs, the Office of the Solicitor General of British Columbia, North Shore Substance Abuse Working Group (made up of councilors from the Municipality of West Vancouver, District of North Vancouver, City of North Vancouver and Municipality of Bowen Island), the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, Bowen Island Orc! hard Treatment Centre, and Crystal Meth Society of British Columbia? The writer wrongly portrays the bill as "Tory Drug Policy." This was my Private Member's Bill, shaped by constituents; the Justice Critics of the other three federal parties; and experts in the area of drug use. The bill creates a new offence for the procurement of ingredients by someone intending to manufacture either of these highly addictive drugs. As mentioned above, Bill C-475 received the support not just of the Tories, but of every Member of Parliament in the House who voted, that is 287 MP's out of 308 of MPs (including the entire NDP caucus). Mr. Barth, we can admire your rugged independence, as your views are out of step with Canadians of almost every imaginable political stripe. John Weston, MP West Vancouver - Sunshine Coast - Sea to Sky country West Vancouver - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake