John Weston, the Conservative candidate in West Vancouver-Sunshine
Coast-Sea-to-Sky Country, welcomed leader Stephen Harper’s call for mandatory
minimum prison sentences of at least two years for people convicted of serious
drug offences. Harper, speaking in Burnaby Saturday, called for the mandatory
minimum sentences for anyone convicted of trafficking, importing, exporting or
manufacturing drugs such as heroin, cocaine, crystal meth and large amounts
(over 3 kg) of marijuana or hashish.
“Unfortunately, we can’t take safe communities for granted
anymore,” Weston said in a release. “Our families are deeply concerned about
the spread of drugs from inner cities to suburbs to even more rural areas, and
a Conservative government will work hard to fight this scourge.”
Weston announced he is assembling a group of experts on crime
to tackle the problem.
“The Liberal government ignored the increase in crime that
stems from drug dealing,” Weston continued. “The Conservatives want to take
action and crack down on the criminals who deal drugs in our communities.”
In addition to mandatory minimum sentences Harper also
announced the Conservatives would ban house arrest sentencing for serious drug
crimes; introduce higher fines for drug dealers and producers, based on the
street value of drugs; make the chemical ingredients of crystal meth harder to
obtain; introduce a drug prevention strategy focused on youth.