| LATEST NEWS: CRACK PIPE PROGRAM UNACCEPTABLE |
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| Sunday, 13 January 2008 19:00 |
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Liberal Injection of Funds for Cancelled Crack Pipe Program Unacceptable: MPP MacLeod For Immediate Release January 14, 2008 (Nepean)- MPP Lisa MacLeod is calling the Ontario Liberal Government’s injection of funds into Somerset West Community Health Centre’s crack pipe program unacceptable after the city of Ottawa Council cancelled the program. “The Mayor and Council made a strong, philosophical decision when they chose to discontinue the crack pipe program. That decision was supported by many, many residents who feel that resident’s tax dollars are better spent on policing and other City services. For the McGuinty Liberals to inject funding into a crack program cancelled by the will of City Council is unacceptable. It is an unnecessary intervention, one that disrespects the very autonomy afforded to municipalities”, said the Nepean-Carleton MPP. Provincial funding of the Somerset West Community Health Centre’s crack pipe kit program is not only inconsistent with Council’s expressed direction but also with statements made by both the Minister of Health, George Smitherman and Premier Dalton McGuinty on two separate occasions. In 2005 Smitherman told the Ontario Legislature, “we have no certainty that there are any provincial dollars involved in those things.” Also in 2005, Mr. McGuinty told the Legislature, “My understanding is that this issue is one that falls under the purview of our municipalities and it's up to them to consider these issues. I would fully expect that they would weigh the advice they get from the police against the advice they might get from community and social workers, and that they would use their very best judgment when they make a call on this. But it is not the kind of thing over which we have immediate responsibility; it's the kind of thing that fundamentally rests with our municipalities.” “What has changed?”, asked MacLeod. “The McGuinty Liberals are on record stating that the responsibility for crack pipe programs fundamentally rests with municipalities, yet their actions suggest they feel otherwise, “concluded MacLeod. MacLeod has alerted PC Leader John Tory and Municipal Affairs Critic John O’Toole as well as Associate Critic Randy Hillier about the issue so that it may be raised when the Legislature resumes later next month. -30- |