Trudeau government under pressure as drug decriminalization debate heats up

Conservatives asked during question period on Thursday whether the Liberals will keep it "illegal to smoke crack in a hospital room,” amid recent debate on a Toronto drug decriminalization request.
Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Ya’ara Saks responded by saying that “every request" to decriminalize drugs is "reviewed on a case-by-case basis,” and that Toronto Public Health has not submitted a proposal that “adequately addresses the dual objectives of public health and public safety.”
“I'm a minister. I'm a Toronto MP. I'm a Toronto mother,” Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland added. “The opioid crisis is a tragedy and there are no families in Canada that are untouched by it.”
“The B.C. pilot project was requested by B.C. - B.C. has serious concerns. We share those concerns, we are addressing it. There is no other pilot project anywhere in Canada, and the B.C. experience should and will be instructive,” Freeland added.
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[@andg5194]

Why is Freeland talking about white supremacist? We talking about drug decriminalization here, you dialed wrong number lady... 🤦‍♂

[@bvictoria6605]

It's a WEF taught tactic; deflect and gaslight as much as possible.

[@Marcus-ss4gn]

They'll always come up with irrelevant, dumb stuff to divert attention to dumb stuff.

[@fkb247]

Where is the speaker of the house 😮

[@rhondadablonda4343]

Is this Freeland a wack job or have I misunderstood something? What does she know about opioid crises? Why is she even speaking about it?

[@Ryan-yi5ro]

Called Trudeauing, where you try and shift blame onto others for things you are actually guilty of.

[@sleepinglioness5754]

Cigarette smokers are treated as lepers and cannot smoke or vape in public areas, but no problem smoking meth, etc.. Liberal logic.

[@KindlyVegan]

You can't smoke a cigarette on hospital property, but you can smoke crack in your room? Too many rights for addicts, too few for working Canadians who pay their medical bills.

[@B-do1ru]

Ditto

[@bob1519]

Well said… the policies of evil politicians … despicable and YES EVIL!

[@YY-in5kn]

This government needs to be removed.

[@bowbender1]

Exactly

[@50.in.07]

Freeland is the biggest wacko of them all.

[@rickvervoort9536]

Wacko policies from a wacko pm.

[@raynwolfsbane2084]

Not a fan of freedom?

[@rickvervoort9536]

These are government policies, they are hardly free, from anything.

[@garyhaggquist740]

Conservative's policy to criminalize drugs is wacko. Criminalizing substance use disorder was an abject failure - and helped to precipitate the opioid crisis. Conservative Benjamin Perrin, law professor and former legal council to Stephen Harper - has studied the opioid crisis and is openly critical of Poilievre's drug policies. Criminalizing people with substance use disorder doesn't work. Evidence shows that someone with substance use disorder is 50X more likely to overdose and expire if they are sent to jail. Don't be fooled by Poilievre!

[@schmitkeoriginals]

​@@raynwolfsbane2084imagine aligning yourself with parties that believe you should be able to smoke crack inside hospitals and in children's playgrounds. FreeDUMB is more accurate. 🤯🤯🤯

[@tomcotter8138]

I heard that before ?

[@garuda2903]

Just freeland's voice alone is enough to piss you off. What a 🤡

[@jiff2323]

Can’t stand hearing Freeland talk. She might be worse than Trudeau in her tone.

[@justauser]

Like nails on a chalkboard

[@50.in.07]

MIStEr spEEEEEEEakeR 🤡

[@-WhizzBang-]

I don't know who makes me cringe more, Freeland or Kamala Harris!

[@-WhizzBang-]

And she is OK with a "pilot project" that is resulting in an average of 22 deaths every day! Let that sink in!!!!!!!!

[@AC-zt2ky]

This racist tactic is so pathetically desperate. It’s getting really sad now

[@MrBobbyBrown2006]

Freeland is literally one of the worst politicians in Canadian history.

[@justanotherkid5273]

Says you and your echo chamber.

[@JackieBillyTom]

@@justanotherkid5273 surely youre not debasing yourself & defending Twitchy

[@poomanjones4853]

@@justanotherkid5273then you support the WEF? Because she does

[@justanotherkid5273]

@@poomanjones4853 Do I need to support it? No. But, it's something in a globalized community. You seem to fail to realize that Canada imports and exports products, so it doesn't hurt to join a global community. Check how much LOBLAWS makes and how PP is linked to someone who helps run Loblaws, GREED is often the issue.

[@-WhizzBang-]

Next to Justin Trudeau!

[@davidhamilton6612]

Not just BC's children, ALL of Canada's children need protecting from these corrupt policies.

[@Marcus-ss4gn]

I left British Columbia, Vancouver last month because of this NDP & Liberal coalition's unlimited drug use policies. Maybe people don't know, but EVERY SINGLE drug is legalized by the NDP & LIBERAL coalition. You can't even walk in downtown Vancouver anymore without stepping on some strange needle. People are doing drugs in front of restaurants, schools, in the parks next to your family, syringes are everywhere and if you call the police, they can't touch the criminals because Provincial NDP and Federal LIBERAL party LEGALIZED IT! IT IS A NIGHTMARE!

[@-WhizzBang-]

From illegal drugs and "gender ideology" indoctrination in schools!

[@user-uj6xc1wp9l]

Breach. Of. Trust.

[@kathrynoneill81]

The absurdity and insanity is finally starting to turn. Keep on pushing, common sense Conservatives, we're counting on you and voting you in soon....

[@jodyrocks5283]

Chrystia Freeland can't answer anything properly!!!

[@goshighumman2531]

Because she on drugs t😅😅😅

[@tomcotter8138]

Messages accused Freeland of being "smug," "elitist," "clueless" and "entitled."

[@Doug-zl8nb]

Government has caused chaos and has destroyed canada

[@carolnixon733]

That's because she is a liberal. They have a minimum concept of danger.

[@MrPointmidget]

Let me be perfectly clear...

[@wqv5423ln]

A few weeks ago someone close to me was verrry ill, had to call an ambulance. They said you'll have to wait an hour ; we are sooo busy. An hour later they called back & said the ER is so full we cant take you there. So she was taken by ambulance to another city where it was very similar. Apparently the reason they are do busy is because of the drug addicts and overdoses. They are lying on the floor in the ER waiting to be seen. Its disgusting for others in the waiting room to watch. I knew Trudeau's pot policy would eventually lead to more drug addiction and it has snowballed the past eight years. Now the wacko wants to decriminalize hard drugs ?! PP was right...this loser needs to go asap ! He and Freeland are destroying this country !

[@parryisland]

Wacko ! Wacko !

[@Billy011nb]

This woman cannot answer a question. Unbelievable

[@user-gt6ks3nf2s]

I would like Freeland to come to my neighbourhood in Vancouver and look at all the crack heads and addicts needles and drug use on the same streets our kids play and tell me how much she cares about the children.....

[@krisius1]

You see the way that thing twitches and jerks around while doing press conferences? She would fit right in on the downtown east side shambling and twitching all hunched over picking at the ground

[@50.in.07]

She would blend right in with them.

[@KindlyVegan]

She should have to bring her children with her and show them what she supports.

[@HSA-]

Well she will think that everyone's normal lol she's all for drugs if you don't already realize

[@katelaloba8243]

Make it illegal. BC has gone to HELL

[@-WhizzBang-]

Isn't it interesting how Trudeau decided to legalize drugs in a city that is the furthest within Canada from his own doorstep! Funny how that is........

[@Bad_dream_right]

Yet ya can’t smoke and drink a beer in public…… disgusting what they have done!

[@worstknightmayor4439]

I do regularly. Laws have flaws.

[@JackieBillyTom]

humans are seemingly incapable of properly comparing things

[@LinuxKnuckleHead]

You can't even buy flavored cigarettes or cigars. Where is the logic and common sense.??

[@lailaansari7293]

Oh my, this is NOT our Canada ...what is this governing body THINKING..drugs are NOT the answer, help is!!! Minister Frieland, please be quiet..REALLY!!!!

[@Another-Address]

The way things are going economically, socially...well, I don't do drugs...but feel like sobriety is not working that well when dealing with dilusional and entitled individuals forcing their wake on me...

[@Lucas-Deepdive]

Imagine how fast the police would visit you if you gave Freelands teen crack!

[@frankreid9354]

fREELAND forgot : I am a crack head , I am a thief , I am incompetence .

[@chelseagirl278]

and WEF puppet!

[@kellyjones-dg4uj]

I drive for transit in bc. Two weeks ago someone literally hot boxed my coach with his crack pipe. We have climate control that circulates the air in the bus. We were All impacted! This HAS TO STOP!!!!!

[@HSA-]

That's irresponsible and dangerous. The guy ought to be behind bars

[@rogerrabbit8756]

They wont debate! They have no ground to stand on. Bunch of wackos.

[@sk_princess575]

This is wild!! I thought America politics took the cake but I may have to rethink because of the foolery I just watched here!! 🤯

[@justauser]

Yup, it doesn't get any more wacko then our unfortunately Liberal-NDP party

[@HSA-]

US is worse off.. There's no comparison I've been there

[@wqv5423ln]

​@@HSA-only certain Dem states are back like NY, NJ, CA etc

[@michaelbinbc]

It's not the decriminalization that's at issue here... it's the consumption in public places. You're still allowed to use these substances in your own home if that's your thing. The problem is, the worst of the addicts live on the street. They have no home to use their stuff in private. As for the overdoses though... decriminalization was never going to stop that. The drugs still come from illegal sources, and can still be laced. Or, they can still use too much even if the source is clean. What they need is rehab, and admittance to a psyc hospital.

[@maryrankin9869]

Open up Riverview for Detox and Treatment. Try this experiment long term.

[@KindlyVegan]

I live in a 10 unit building and I had a drug dealer living across the hall from me for years. Im in the GTA. Fights, fires, 20 propane tanks showing up at the curb on garbage day. A shoot up tent in her back yard. A man chasing a little girl down the street. Crack pipes and needles everywhere for our children to find. Fights with bloody men with knives walking around the hallway. Addicts sleeping in the laundry room vandalizing the machines for a handfull of change. FINALLY the owners could evict this nightmare from our lives. My Grandchildren wouldn't have been allowed to stay with me for sleepovers had it continued. Trudeau wants to legalize this so that people pay $2000-$3000 per month to live with it??? TRUDEAU IS EVIL!!!

[@GordDomenic]

Sounds like a Doug Ford and police of Toronto problem. Hard drugs aren't decriminalized in Ontario.

[@distanttraveler6531]

@@GordDomenic Inflation, massive spending, huge deficits and and depreciating dollar is a federal problem. This country is a mess.

[@GordDomenic]

@@distanttraveler6531 so what the federal government is supposed to drive to Toronto or any other province to clean up the streets? And this person crying is a vegan they are probably embellishing and over reacting.

[@GordDomenic]

@@distanttraveler6531 kindly vegan is talking about the drug problem in Toronto not only is she off topic so are you

[@jibbone-leelong1657]

I cant wait for pierre to get voted in and never hear from freeland ever again

[@frank5d289]

Is Freeland even firing on all cylinders?

[@icantwiththis]

No

[@joshualeardini9501]

No too much powder in her nose

[@AI-Assist-2024]

I have lived through several governments in British Columbia. Decriminalizing drugs without having the proper controls in place was a VERY BAD IDEA. If I had known that this experiment was going to be implemented in the way it was, I would have not voted for the federal Liberal government nor the provincial NDP government. What is scary though is the fact that the Conservative Party in Canada had supported Trump as a presidential candidate. And has defended the rambunctious demonstration on our federal parliament building in Ottawa. There is much to dissect here for the Canadian voters in the next provincial and federal elections.

[@maryrankin9869]

How about opening up Riverview for long term experiment for Detox and Treatment.

[@AI-Assist-2024]

@@maryrankin9869 Every citizen should be treated with dignity.

[@joedabadie4427]

My god nothing to consider at all...NDP and Libs are the SAME PARTY!!! Jesus Christ I don't understand how people could still support these buffoons at parliament. As far as I can see we need a pendulum swing back to the right (center now) to get rid of this problematic approach. As for Ottawa and the convoy that was completely bungled and was absolute abuse of the EA. Problem I see is that we won't use those powers to quash the encampment on universities pushing anti semitism. Canada is a dumpster fire and whatever govt wins next election will need more than one term to put this fire out.

[@distanttraveler6531]

So in your opinion conservatives would not be good with our biggest trading partner. Not sure what you mean by that, years of ndp ideologies will do that to you😂

[@abatos1146]

Build treatment centres to wean patients off of hard drugs. Have nurses administer the drugs to snuff out the black market.

[@michaelbinbc]

Nurses were administering, and we do have legal sites where they can be monitored to administer themselves. We had these centers since 2,000 or so. But what's happening, is legal supply has been found in the black market. Someone's making money on the side.

[@TheAircool1]

Those people won't give up drugs unless you eliminate the underlying issues that led to them getting addicted to drugs in the first place (chronic pain, depression, and lack of opportunity to improve their lives)

[@user-sr2tb8nx9n]

@@michaelbinbc ... yea the person who legalized it lmao

[@speroskoufis7505]

We literally had an election interference inquiry now you are looking the other way on fentanyl?

[@user-uj6xc1wp9l]

Very good comment. Thank you.

[@SillySongs4Everyone2001]

They just can’t answer the question

[@westcoastwoodsman2289]

I don't think we should be throwing people in jail for small amounts of drugs or wrecking their lives with some sort of criminal record. I do think we need to force mandatory rehab for people with serious drug problems that lead them into criminal activity. The "white supremacist" thing is completely ridiculous. Give it up! Look at the freekin people across the floor. Do they look like the kind of people who support that sort of silliness?

[@shakyjake2133]

This comment right here.

[@JackieBillyTom]

White SupremacistsTM is one of many terms Davos makes their minions memorize

[@Guitarist166]

I think even Rob Ford would have more common sense then to legalize crack.

[@carolnixon733]

Maybe the nurses charge danger pay.

[@AellaMaude]

Will there ever be enough danger pay for the nurses or anyone when people have free reign with drugs & there is no prevention or treatment of responsibility/accountability for taking addictive & dangerous drugs?

[@carolnixon733]

@@AellaMaude You are so right.

[@tracyweatherhead5754]

Freeland needs to be voted out office. Now liberals want of drug mess in Toronto my GOD this is Nuts! Do the safe free drugs in BC come with a label vote liberal?

[@CraZY.pRIME.]

Did you listen to the whole video, NO they do not want that and Toronto has not requested it. It just conservatives making stuff up.

[@letitbesummer6536]

NO! She just said that they were against it! Do you not listen?

[@physalisgp0265]

Is that all that free land can say? Seriously? Pathetic, utterly pathetic. Shame on this government.

[@carolweideman1905]

I have a question no one is answering. If you can smoke crack in a hospital or on a bus why can you not smoke a cigarette or vapor in both those places?

[@poomanjones4853]

So she can call conservatives “White suprematist” while PP can’t say “wacko” ???

[@wqv5423ln]

Yrs, they do it all the time with no consequences !

[@markskids2030]

Justin needs access to a safe supply of brain cells. He's gone cold turkey.

[@AhmadGolshan-kb7rp]

❤Thank you Global News 🇨🇦❤ 🙏 Pierre Poilievre 4 PM 🇨🇦 🙏Thank you Deputy CPC Leader Melissa Lantsman 🇨🇦 🙏Axe The Tax! 🙏 🙏Spike The Hike! 🙏 🙏Stop the crime! 🙏

[@johnnytangsh]

Freeland is a Toronto MP. She won't be in two years.

[@QWZXM]

she might be because most of the voters there are die hard-blow hard libs.

[@wqv5423ln]

I hopeot ! She represents and works for Ukraine !

[@peterbutz642]

You can’t even say NDP are stupid because this goes beyond stupidity This is criminal it’s so disgusting exposing children and working adults to dangerous drugs these people are dangerous to society

[@user-yn7oy3fw9p]

@peterbutz642....But none of you hypocrites had a problem when you elected a drug addict to ruin Toronto followed by his drug dealer brother to ruin the rest of Ontario!..Is hypocrisy popular among Conservatives?...If that's the case, I'm glad I don't vote for them!..

[@switchlane2009]

I’m fed up with this government. Complete failure

[@user-fi6xy1ji8l]

Melissa Lantman makes a good hatchet man, shes good.

[@monafernandes3889]

Imagine the only LEGACY of our Prime Minister is the Legalization of Drugs and I don't get what Freeland is referring to....she lacks an appropriate response .yeh blame in on right...

[@kaaayl11]

who knew it took more than common sense to criminalize drugs not only in general but in public.

[@barrygouthro6315]

What a waste of words

[@Mast3r_ya]

Freeland learned well from her master how to answer the question, i mean not to answer...

[@masakifujimoto4679]

freeland voice hurts my brain

[@user-yn7oy3fw9p]

@masakifujimoto4679....I know the feeling every time I hear Doug Ford's voice!...

[@mattyg69ification]

What debate? Trudeau never debates or answers anything. He deflects questions with random talking points that make zero sense. When he even shows up to work...

[@wqv5423ln]

Pride is her necklace.

[@vicRaptorsgal]

How can Toronto send twitchy face to represent them in parliament? Cmon Toronto we can do better … vote conservative or we are gna turn into Oregon

[@jeffbryan3224]

They won't let me smoke cigarettes in the hospital. I guess I have to switch to METH.

[@DaKrawnik]

Politics is just bad theatre. This doesn't impress me.

[@RepublicOfWesternCanadaNOW]

LIFE IMPRISONMENT FOR ALL WEF MEMBERS

[@kimcourt5652]

Wacko wacko wacko wacko wacko

[@Maxmulham]

I have never been a pro prohibition type of person but legalizing all drugs to the point where it's allowed on buses, hospitals, beaches just seems downright... well wacko.

[@maryrankin9869]

Anything goes these days.

[@CharlesJones-km8rf]

Freland is a joke out now

[@neverendingproductions7171]

Id like all political leaders to come to Calgary Alberta and take a look at all the individuals passed out on benches smoking on the city trains.

[@MrBusy427]

Liberals are done

[@lizziemcconnell2001]

Christina Freeland needs to go. She can't ever just answer a question. It's infuriating hearing her say 'what Canadians want' over and over. She clearly hasn't got a clue.

[@user-uj6xc1wp9l]

The Trudeau Government’s #1 Gaslighter, followed by Hajdu.

[@user-uj6xc1wp9l]

Time for a government that gets things done.

[@PittontheMove]

Issues come to light but nothing ever gets solved in the House of Commons. They’re just practicing their debating skills and passing their time to collect a pay cheque on taxpayer’s dime. I’m tired of watching it.

[@SirThanksalott]

When politicians going to start making minimum wage like the rest of Canadians?

[@michelemond9968]

So what Freeland is basically saying is, she doesn’t give a crap about her own teenage kids…Why bring them up if you don’t give an answer?….

[@pawljaxun]

So where the hell is Jagmeet in this? After all BC is has an NDP government. I would Think Jagmeet would have stance on this, either the Liberal stance, or the BC NDP / Conservative stance. Where are you Jagmeet? His position on this will show his true colours. Why is no one asking him? ... very weird??

[@jonh537]

Wow liberals, SMH. Does she listen to her own responses?

[@HerculesCDN]

The Canadian spokesman for Hamas as minister of addiction. Awesome trudo. You know how to pick em

[@latrellagujitas9835]

I see people injecting drugs and leaving used needles on the benches at the park, bus stations, and train stations.

[@prestonmatechuck8078]

Freeland makes me laugh every time she speaks 😂😂

[@djmoot4428]

It is funny to think how government figures out what is best for you, but we can't say anything that is best for the government.

[@bob1519]

Who’s Despicable now

[@Kung_Fu_Cantona]

B.C. now stands for Be Careful 😢

[@michaelbinbc]

Allows you to smoke crack on a public bus in BC?? You can't smoke anything on a bus. Period. If it happens, they get kicked off. Stop pushing lies. And no, nobody should be blowing smoke in anyone's face... including cigarette smoke, but nobody's complaining about that in Pariament.

[@CraZY.pRIME.]

Of course its lies, its all PP knows how to do. He tells spoooky stories for his followers.

[@ozzydo2314]

My 2 year old picked up a needle in our own backyard.

[@on2thenextthing]

Freeland is utterly pathetic.

[@dixonyaarmouf4630]

Dildeau blows goats 🐐

[@HSA-]

😂

[@kyungshim6483]

destigmatization = normalization. Common sense.

[@Stevi987]

She’ll only care when her children are directly affected by it.

[@patientzero291]

They should've ask the question: Do you care about the citizens of this country about hard drug use, then reverse the course?

[@vd7875]

BLAH, BLAH, BLAH AND STILL BLAH, BLAH, BLAH

[@Compu1er79]

What I find interesting is that you see Zero liberals or NDP on this form fighting for there party.

[@barrygouthro6315]

Shameful

[@ludicrousmodel3173]

I'm sorry, the conservatives are just too good. Poilievre has my vote!

[@wqv5423ln]

Your right, so dont be sorry !

[@mouseandryforever6848]

One last comment from on the boots on the ground in Vancouver: your harm reduction model has failed big time because you didn't put the resources into it that you needed to. You just give out all these harm reduction supplies to people and you consider that helping them. Sure we have not enough detox centers but what do these people do after they get out of detox when they have no housing to go to and no life to go to? They go right back to the street. It's just a revolving door because the money wasn't put where it needed to be put and the investment wasn't made.

[@davehad-enough2369]

The final nail in Canada's coffin. Such a beautiful country completely fuked by politicians.

[@NerdyCanadian96]

Day 6 of not rolling back drug decriminalization means 132 people died of od's waiting on a decision

[@icantwiththis]

Poisonings

[@mouseandryforever6848]

Let me tell you something, I'm on the ground in Vancouver. I've watched the downtown east side change over the last 25 to 30 years. The problem that occurred was the doctors yanked all the pharmaceutical grade opioids that were being sold on the street. Now what we have is fentanyl that is completely unclean. When you took away the pharmaceutical grade opioids by cutting people's prescriptions and sending them to the street you allowed the drug cartels to start importing fentanyl to meet the demand. Now you've got people who are not only addicted to the stronger drug fentanyl but what they're getting on the street is fentanyl plus a whole bunch of other addictive drugs like benzodiazepines. The drug supply itself is now toxic and people are addicted to these toxic drugs. So what BC did was they said oh we'll give you pharmaceutical grade Dilaudid so that you'll start using the Dilaudid and get off the Fentanyl. Well it's a bit late for that because what these people do is sell their Dilaudid to anyone who will buy it and go buy the toxic fentanyl because now they're addicted to that high. So I find this debate that we're watching now about 10 years too late.

[@GordDomenic]

Get the drugs off the streets! It shouldn't be the pm making the decisions it should be the opp and police making these decisions! Let the police and opp do what they are paid to do which is keep the streets clean.

[@giuseppegnazzo3154]

I think she was dropped on her head one too many times growing.

[@sylviebeauvais7280]

What kind of government is that I wonder if Freeland kids going to do or Trudeau's kids

[@carltyndall5302]

Current government policy keeps the addicted reliant on DRUGS...GUARANTEED!!!

[@MsxHolmes]

That's not Mila Mulroney on TV.

[@karene]

This crisis is so out of control that all parties need to work together not continually take up time in the house criticizing each other. Canadians need to see collaboration. These politicians need to let go of trying to sway voters and focus on the issues. One solution is possibly a separate panel of experts with regular updates to Canadians for accountability. Polievre you and your party need to read the book Overdose by Benjamin Perrin to understand the opioid crisis better.

[@normkeller2405]

"Repeat offenders"? Who do you mean? Oh, right! Trudeau's cabinet and the speaker.

[@dkrawk8309]

Truedonno is "under pressure " AAAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA

[@senthilkrishnan1273]

Wacko gov

[@sherrykennedy1129]

Can the real slim shady please stand up. Sit down Freeland

[@carti6176]

Freeland talking off topic she knows she won't be able to smoke crack anymore when conservative wins 😂

[@douglasjoe1]

This is a stain on the liberal party that will take 100 years to wash out. They've gone way too far, and Canadians aren't that stupid to know that this is about money over the safety of our children. Someone's getting a big payday for this