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A private member's bill to decriminalize marijuana went up in smoke
Wednesday, set alight by an amendment from the federal Liberal government.
"Rather than deal with it, they just sent it off to Never-Never Land,"
complained Fraser Valley MP Chuck Strahl, who hosted a town hall meeting
here in Chilliwack two months ago on the controversial issue.
The government's use of parliamentary process to kill a private member's
bill "really is outrageous," said Mr. Strahl. He added that Alliance MP
Keith Martin, a B.C. doctor who authored the bill, was also outraged by the
Liberal tactic, and may face parliamentary censure for touching a symbolic
mace that resides in the House of Commons.
New Democratic Party House Leader Bill Blaikie told reporters the Liberal
tactic was "a sad day for parliamentary democracy."
"Whenever the government doesn't want something to come to a vote, it can
use its majority to overcome private members' business," he said.
Mr. Martin's bill would have made possession of small amounts of marijuana a
summary offence subject to tickets and fines but no criminal record. The
amendment sends the bill to an existing special committee studying the
non-medical use of drugs.
Mr. Strahl said the Liberals' arrogance in power shows why the party is not
favoured by voters in B.C.
While cod fishermen on the east coast received billions of federal dollars
when the fishery collapsed, B.C. loggers and forest-dependent communities
are not getting anything from the Liberal government.
The softwood lumber dispute didn't even register on the Liberal radar screen
until after the effects were felt outside of B.C. and "then everybody hit
the panic button," he said. "Then it's a national crisis."
Pubdate: April 19, 2002
Source: Chilliwack Progress (CN BC)
Contact: editor@theprogress.com
Address: 45860 Spadina Ave., Chilliwack, BC, Canada V2P 6H9
Fax: (604) 792-4436
Feedback: Chilliwack Progress Contact Us | Chilliwack News
Website: Home - Chilliwack Progress
Author: Robert Freeman
Wednesday, set alight by an amendment from the federal Liberal government.
"Rather than deal with it, they just sent it off to Never-Never Land,"
complained Fraser Valley MP Chuck Strahl, who hosted a town hall meeting
here in Chilliwack two months ago on the controversial issue.
The government's use of parliamentary process to kill a private member's
bill "really is outrageous," said Mr. Strahl. He added that Alliance MP
Keith Martin, a B.C. doctor who authored the bill, was also outraged by the
Liberal tactic, and may face parliamentary censure for touching a symbolic
mace that resides in the House of Commons.
New Democratic Party House Leader Bill Blaikie told reporters the Liberal
tactic was "a sad day for parliamentary democracy."
"Whenever the government doesn't want something to come to a vote, it can
use its majority to overcome private members' business," he said.
Mr. Martin's bill would have made possession of small amounts of marijuana a
summary offence subject to tickets and fines but no criminal record. The
amendment sends the bill to an existing special committee studying the
non-medical use of drugs.
Mr. Strahl said the Liberals' arrogance in power shows why the party is not
favoured by voters in B.C.
While cod fishermen on the east coast received billions of federal dollars
when the fishery collapsed, B.C. loggers and forest-dependent communities
are not getting anything from the Liberal government.
The softwood lumber dispute didn't even register on the Liberal radar screen
until after the effects were felt outside of B.C. and "then everybody hit
the panic button," he said. "Then it's a national crisis."
Pubdate: April 19, 2002
Source: Chilliwack Progress (CN BC)
Contact: editor@theprogress.com
Address: 45860 Spadina Ave., Chilliwack, BC, Canada V2P 6H9
Fax: (604) 792-4436
Feedback: Chilliwack Progress Contact Us | Chilliwack News
Website: Home - Chilliwack Progress
Author: Robert Freeman