Poilievre Calls for Trudeau to Reject Toronto’s Request to Decriminalize Drugs

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre rises during question period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on March 18, 2024. The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to reject a city of Toronto request to decriminalize drugs.

In an open letter sent May 1, Mr. Poilievre said decriminalization would cause more “chaos” and overdose deaths, and asked the prime minister to “take urgent action” on the issue.

“If you allow Toronto to legalize hard drugs, as you did with British Columbia, the only outcome will be leaving the most vulnerable Canadians to a life of misery and despair,” he wrote.

Mr. Poilievre also pressed Mr. Trudeau to reverse his government’s support for decriminalization in B.C., saying the NDP government’s decriminalization of hard drugs has led to a nearly 400 percent increase in overdose deaths in the province.

B.C.’s pilot project on drug decriminalization began back in January 2023, when Health Canada issued an exemption to federal drug laws decriminalizing possession of up to 2.5 grams of certain illegal drugs, including heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine.

B.C. Premier David Eby last week asked Health Canada to amend the exemption order to recriminalize the use of those drugs in public spaces such as hospitals, transit, and parks.

Mr. Eby said in a press release that while the province has compassion for those suffering from drug addiction, it does not accept the “street disorder that makes communities feel unsafe.”

He said police needed to have the tools to ensure “safe and comfortable communities for everyone” while the province expanded treatment options for drug users.

This reversal came after months of reports of public drug use occurring in hospitals as well as at bus stops and parks across the province. Police, health-care workers, and municipal politicians have criticized the policy for eroding public safety while doing little to stop drug abuse.

Addictions Minister Ya’ara Saks told reporters April 29 the federal government was still reviewing the appeal from B.C. to scale back its pilot project. “I only received the letter on Friday. It is under review with officials at this time,” she said.

Toronto’s Request

Toronto first made a request in 2022 that Ottawa exempt all drugs for personal use in the city. It updated its request in 2023 to ask that young people also be protected from criminalization and to not include a cap on possession, which goes further than B.C.’s drug policy.

Toronto Medical Officer of Health Dr. Eileen de Villa said in an April 30 statement that the city would continue acting with other treatment investments. The proposal had been crafted with the support of a “wide range of stakeholders,” including Toronto police and individuals who have used the drugs, she added.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford spoke out against the city’s proposal during an April 29 press conference, calling the policy of decriminalization a “nightmare,” saying more should be spent on addiction treatment.

“That’s what we should be doing, not legalizing hard drugs. Like, you got to be kidding me letting people do cocaine and crack, and heroin,” he said.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has repeatedly criticized B.C.’s drug decriminalization policy, and has called for parliament to hold an emergency debate on the issue following B.C.’s appeal.