Pubdate: Sat, 09 Mar 2013
Source: StarPhoenix, The (CN SN)
Copyright: 2013 The StarPhoenix
Contact: http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/letters.html
Website: http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/400
Author: Mark Kennedy
Page: A15

TORIES WARNED OF WAR ON DRUGS

OTTAWA - Canada's conservative movement was warned Friday that
America's war on drugs - now being emulated by the Harper government
with tough mandatory jail terms - has been an expensive disaster that
has stripped millions of people of their civil liberties.

The message came from Ron Paul, a former U.S. congressman and failed
contender for the Republic presidential nomination last year.

Paul delivered the opening address to hundreds of conservatives
gathered at an annual conference sponsored by the Manning Centre for
Building Democracy.

A well-known libertarian who is considered the godfather of the Tea
Party, Paul spoke about the many dangers that citizens face when
governments intrude into either the economy or their personal lives.

"If you believe in liberty, you will protect economic liberty and
personal liberty. They are all one and the same."

Paul said citizen freedom should extend to "personal behaviour" and
"lifestyle."

"If we have legalization of religious freedom, some people have this
religion or that religion, and some people have no religion. Most
people will accept that as rather tolerant. But when it comes to
lifestyle in the last 30 to 40 years, we have spent about five to six
trillion dollars enforcing laws which I think make no sense
whatsoever, (and) has caused our prisons to have more prisoners than
China."

Paul blasted the "irrationality of the drug laws that tell people what
they can put in their mouths and what they can put in their bodies."

"I think the drug war needs (to be) repealed," he said to cheers and
applause from many people in the conference centre, a short walk from
Parliament Hill.

Many of the people attending the conference are fervent supporters of
Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Conservative government.

Topics on the conference agenda include the oilpatch and environmental
protection, privatization of some health care, foreign policy and
aboriginal affairs.

Among the ministers appearing at the conference are Jason Kenney
(immigration), Maxime Bernier (small business and tourism) and Tony
Clement (treasury board).

Since first being elected in 2006, the Conservative government has
espoused a strong law-and-order agenda which it says is needed to keep
criminals off the streets. Critics say it is merely a political tactic
to attract votes and some of the measures are an overreach.

But the government, with the majority it won in 2011, has pressed
ahead. The measures, part of the Safe Streets and Communities Act,
provide a mandatory six-month jail term for growing as few as six
marijuana plants.

In his speech, Paul did not make direct reference to that law, but he
stressed that America's experience has been awful.

He said that as a father and a medical physician, he recognizes that
drugs are very dangerous.

"But if you compare the so called illegal drugs to prescription drugs,
a lot more people die from prescription drug abuse."

Former Reform party leader Preston Manning, president of the centre
that held the conference, said people with "different views" were
invited to speak to engage a good discussion.

"Conservatives are not afraid of self-examination," said Manning.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Matt